Dr. Saša Radovanović, Director of the Institute for Medical Research (IMR), and Dr. Snežana Tomanović, Assistant Director for Science and Research, took part in an institutional study visit to Japan, alongside representatives of the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation, Science and Technology Park Belgrade, Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases “Dedinje”, Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy (IHTM), and the BIO4 Campus initiative.
During visits to Osaka and Tokyo, IMR presented its research portfolio and ongoing projects, while also establishing direct connections with key actors in Japan’s biotech and pharmaceutical innovation ecosystems.
Osaka: Bridging Science, Healthcare, and Investment
In Osaka, the delegation attended the “Serbia – Land of Investment” conference and visited the EXPO 2025 exhibition, organized with the support of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce. As part of the Health Week thematic program, IMR showcased its work in the fields of precision diagnostics and personalized medicine. Visits to pavilions dedicated to health, technology, and sustainability offered IMR representatives a firsthand look at global innovation trends shaping the future of healthcare.
“At IMR, we combine scientific expertise with robust infrastructure to help accelerate the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic solutions, and to bring them closer to clinical application. Exchanges like these are valuable because they affirm that our work is aligned with global innovation flows and that we have a meaningful role to play across the wider biomedical value chain,” said Dr. Snežana Tomanović.
Tokyo: Collaboration Models That Move Science Forward
The Tokyo leg of the visit focused on knowledge exchange with institutions and companies working at the intersection of science, industry, and innovation. The delegation held meetings with representatives of open innovation ecosystems, including CIC Japan and Shonan Health Innovation Park, as well as companies such as Takeda, Axcelead, and Alloy Therapeutics.
Discussions underscored the importance of dynamic, cross-sector partnerships in accelerating therapeutic innovation through shared platforms, pooled infrastructure, and close collaboration from early discovery and data generation to clinical and market application.
“Visits like this help us recognize where our strengths align with global innovation flows and how to translate them into long-term, purpose-driven partnerships with industry, which is essential for positioning IMR as a research partner of the future, within the BIO4 Campus and beyond,” said Dr. Saša Radovanović.
As an institute actively engaged in co-developing the BIO4 Campus innovation ecosystem, this visit marks an important step forward for IMR toward deeper strategic partnerships, more effective knowledge transfer, and a research environment that is applied, interdisciplinary, and globally connected.
