OIST Innovation Day 2026

Thursday, November 5, 2026 - 11:00 to 17:45

OIST

OIST is advancing science into innovation in many forms. Held as Day 2 of Startup Elevate, OIST Innovation Day invites you to meet the innovation happening across OIST — from early-stage research seeds to startups built on cutting-edge technology. Sessions are organized around Healthcare and Deep Tech, aligned with the themes of Startup Elevate. If you're looking for ways to collaborate with OIST on innovation, this is the event to attend.

This event is by invitation and requires advance registration. Please refer to the "Registration" section and complete your registration in advance.
*Advance registration is not required for OIST students, researchers, and staff.

Main Program & Timetable

Venue: Auditorium (Stage A)

Time	Program	Details
10:00–11:00	Reception Opens	Poster area is open
11:00–11:20 (20 min)	Opening
11:20–11:50 (30 min)	[Healthcare] Keynote	Professor Yohei Yokobayashi, OIST
11:50–12:50 (60 min)	Lunch Break
12:50–14:00 (70 min)	[Healthcare] Research Showcase	Pitches from OIST researchers working on healthcare-related research projects
14:00–14:10 (10 min)	Break
14:10–15:35 (85 min)	OIST Innovation Accelerator Demo Day	Pitches from this year's Accelerator cohort, plus finalists shortlisted for next year's cohort
15:35–15:45 (10 min)	Break
15:45–16:15 (30 min)	[Deep Tech] Keynote	Professor Christine Luscombe, OIST
16:15–17:35 (80 min)	[Deep Tech] Research Showcase	Pitches from OIST researchers working on research projects outside of healthcare
17:35–17:45 (10 min)	Closing

Side Events

Local Startup Pitch

Highlighting local startups aligned with the Healthcare or Deep Tech themes — including OIST startups, tenant startups of the OIST Innovation Incubator, and startups from the University of the Ryukyus or PARKS. A great opportunity to meet local startups while visiting Okinawa.

Deep Tech startups: 12:50–14:00 (70 min)
Healthcare startups: 16:20–17:30 (70 min)

[Venue: Conference Center Meeting Room 1 (Stage B)]

Campus Tour

Join a guided tour of the OIST campus — don't miss it if this is your first visit.

1st tour: 10:15–11:00 (45 min)
2nd tour: 12:05–12:50 (45 min)
3rd tour: 16:45–17:30 (45 min)

Poster Session

Posters from participating startups and researchers will be on display at the venue throughout the day. Stop by to learn about the technology and meet the researchers and entrepreneurs behind it.

[Venue: Auditorium & Conference Center Foyer (Poster Area)]

*Contents and schedule are subject to change.

Speakers

Healthcare

Keynote (11:20-11:50)	Professor Yohei Yokobayashi Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Nucleic Acid Chemistry and Engineering Unit
Research Showcase (12:50-14:00)	Zacharie Taoufiq: UD proteomics-driven optimization of human stem cell programming into keratinocytes Yohei Yokobayashi: Riboswitch–Mediated Regulation of AAV Rep and Cap Expression to Improve Viral V Chemical regulation of CAR-T cells using riboswitches Chia (Anna) Jung Chang: A novel synthesized peptide, PHDP5, as a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease Geoffrey Acoba Garcia: Continuum-robot-based endoscopic surgery system Junho Lee: Development of Novel AI-Enabled Phage Therapies and an AI Platform And more
Local Startup Pitch (16:20-17:30)	To be updated.

Deeptech

Keynote (15:45-16:15)	Professor Christine Luscombe Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) pi-Conjugated Polymers Unit
Research Showcase (16:15-17:35)	Ayumu Karimata: Development of flexible mechanoluminescent materials Mitchell Owen de Vries: The Kawaii-QuBit – Educational Diamond Quantum Teaching Tool Morihiro Ohta: Spin-based ultra-low-noise amplifier for microwave quantum technologies and magnetic resonance applications) Natalia Morais: Quasioptical Microwave Field Enhancement for Electron-on-Helium Qubits Luis Katsuya Ono: Development of Transparent Perovskite Solar Cells Alexey Vylegzhanin: Rydberg Atom – Optical Nanofiber based Single Photon Emitter Kosmas Deligkaris: Development of an Edge AI system for real-time detection of alien invasive anuran species Satoshi Takebayashi: iHAT: Iron-catalyzed Hydrogen Atom Transfer from H2 Roger Huerlimann: EbiSeq: Innovative Environmental Nucleic Acid Tools Improve Shrimp Farming Giovanni Masucci: Toward Scalable and Sustainable Squid Aquaculture Mark Sullivan: Smart Filtration: Engineering Molecular Recognition-Based Filters for Efficient PFAS Capture and Removal And more
Local Startup Pitch (12:50-14:00)	To be updated.

OIST Innovation Accelerator Demo Day (14:10-15:35)

FY2026 Cohort	Castomize KeKatu MINORICA MyImmune
Finalist for FY2027 Cohort	To be updated.

*Speakers are subject to change.

Event Details

Date	November 5, 2026, 11:00–17:45 (Reception and poster session open at 10:00)
Venue	Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) 1919-1 Tancha, Onna Village, Okinawa 904-0495
Who should attend	OIST researchers interested in connecting, learning, and collaborating with industry — or looking to launch a startup and bring their technology to life Locally based healthcare/deeptech startups, including OIST startups, tenant startups of the OIST Innovation Incubator, and startups from the University of the Ryukyus or PARKS, interested in connecting, learning, and collaborating with industry — or looking to launch a startup and bring their technology to life Industry players interested in connecting, learning, and collaborating with OIST VCs exploring investment opportunities in OIST technology or startups EIR candidates / business talents looking for research seeds to build a startup around
Inquiries	olseoistday2026@365groups.oist.jp

Registration

How you sign up depends on your participant category. Please check the details below.

OIST Researchers / Staffs	Although you may attend without prior registration simply by presenting your staff ID, to make networking among participants more meaningful, we will be creating a participant list that will be shared among those who register their information. If you would like access to the participant list, please register your information below. [OIST Researcher/Staff Sign-up Form]
PARKS Universities	Please sign up using the form below: [OIST Researcher/Staff Sign-up Form]
Startups	Registration for general startups is now closed. Please sign up using the form below (application due: August 31st): [Startup Sign-up Form] This is the common form for applying to Pitch Elevate, the pitch contest held on November 4th and 6th. Even if you're only interested in joining the local pitch, not Pitch Elevate, please use this form to apply. If you are an OIST startup, or a startup based in the OIST Innovation Incubator, and would like to attend, please contact us at olseoistday2026@365groups.oist.jp.
Industry Players	INO Members: The sign-up form is shared via the INO office. If you haven't received it, please contact ino@oist.jp. Startup Elevate Sponsor companies: Your participation is included as part of your sponsorship. For details, please follow the information provided by the Startup Elevate office. Others: Participation is by invitation only. If you're interested in joining, please reach out to check your eligibility: olseoistday2026@365groups.oist.jp
VCs	You are invited to attend. Please let us know at the address below if you plan to participate, and we will share the registration details with you. startup-elevate2026@lifetime-ventures.com
EIR Candidates	The EIR track is a document-screened place for pre-founding individuals. If you are interested in joining Startup Elevate, including OIST Innovation Day, to meet pre-incorporation seeds for co-founding and connecting with venture-creation-focused VCs from Japan and abroad, please apply using the form below: [EIR Sign-up Form]
Others	If you don't fall under any of the categories above and are unsure about your participation, please contact: olseoistday2026@365groups.oist.jp

All-OIST Category:

Innovation