President KUMANOGOH and Distinguished Honorary Professor SAKAGUCHI Spoke at Global Startup EXPO 2026

The Global Startup EXPO 2026 (GSE2026), one of the world's premier international startup events, was held over three days from October 5 to 7, 2026. The event was organized by the Global Startup EXPO 2026 Executive Committee.

The event was first held over two days at the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan venue last year, attracting more than 10,000 participants from Japan and abroad, primarily from the startups. In its second year, GSE2026 was held primarily in Osaka’s Umekita area and featured startup exhibitions, pitch competitions, moderated discussions, and business matching opportunities, with a focus on the six strategic technology areas designated by the Japanese government.

At a session titled “From Scientific Frontiers to Societal Impact: Transforming Humanity’s Greatest Knowledge into Reality,” held on October 6, former Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio, The University of Osaka President KUMANOGOH Atsushi, and Distinguished Honorary Professor SAKAGUCHI Shimon took the stage as featured speakers.

In his presentation, President KUMANOGOH outlined UOsaka’s vision for driving innovation through the social implementation of outstanding research achievements, highlighting UOsaka’s world-leading research, strong industry-academia collaborations, and commitment to fostering startups. Distinguished Honorary Professor SAKAGUCHI, meanwhile, spoke from the dual perspectives of researcher and entrepreneur about the challenge of translating science and technology into societal value and opening new pathways to the future.

Several UOsaka startups also showcased their technologies and businesses in the exhibition area. While touring the exhibition booths, YOSHIMURA Hirofumi, Governor of Osaka Prefecture, listened attentively to the exhibitors’ enthusiastic presentations, reflecting his strong interest in their work.