Exploring Future Possibilities through Dialogue among Researchers
"Strategic R&D Partner Seminar” Held in the U.S.
In recent years, researchers have faced increasingly complex challenges that cannot be solved by a single company or laboratory. Improving development efficiency, automating experiments, and implementing new analytical technologies for the benefit of society. These issues are now common concerns across the research community.
To address these challenges, Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Inc. (SSI), based in Columbia, Maryland, which oversees Shimadzu’s analytical & measuring instruments business in the U.S., and BonneVille Labs , based in South San Francisco, California, jointly held the Strategic R&D Partner Seminar.
Scene from the Seminar
From a Place for Showcasing Technology to a Place for Building the Future Together
Held in late April 2026, this seminar differed from typical product introduction seminars. It focused on Shimadzu’s core technologies, including technologies not yet commercially available in the U.S., and provided an opportunity to explore potential areas for future collaboration through dialogue with researchers, companies, and universities.
SSI President Patrick Fromal addressing attendees
In addition to presentations on topics directly related to addressing challenges in research settings, participants exchanged ideas during networking sessions and poster presentations. These discussions encouraged participants to consider questions such as, “What challenges do we face in our own laboratories?” and “Where are the opportunities to adopt new technologies or pursue joint research?”
The seminar provided a forum for developing new partnerships and research opportunities, with the aim of fostering dialogue that could lead to future innovations rather than simply showcasing existing technologies.
Hirotaka Kuroda, Cell Business Unit, Diagnostics Management Department, Analytical & Measuring Instruments Division, Shimadzu Corporation, gave a presentation
The Shimadzu team that organized the seminar
Presentations on Technologies Supporting Next-Generation R&D
Four presentations were also given by experts working at the forefront of research and development. Topics included technologies and initiatives supporting next-generation R&D, such as the optimization of drug formulation development using AI and automation technologies, lab automation, and new detection technologies.
Presentations also featured case studies using Shimadzu Corporation’s liquid chromatographs and the research data management software LabSolutions Sync. These examples demonstrated how integrating analytical instruments with digital technologies can improve the speed and accuracy of R&D. Laboratory automation attracted particularly strong interest from participants, with lively discussions highlighting it as one of the key challenges facing today’s research laboratories.
Presentation Topics and Speakers
| Topic | Speaker |
|---|---|
| Automated Platform for Pharmaceutical Formulation Development |
Kenan Pandza, VP of R&D  |
| One Vision, Two Strategies: Integrated & Open-Platform Lab Automation |
Andy Sasaki, General Manager, R&D Center (MD)  |
| Find the Needle in the Haystack with FAST Fluorescence Imaging |
Joerg Martini, Assoc. Director  |
| AI-Driven Culture Media Optimization for Biopharmaceuticals |
Hirotaka Kuroda, Senior Researcher  |
The presentations were based on the idea that we are moving from an era in which individual companies develop innovative technologies on their own to an era in which new value is created through collaboration with partners possessing diverse technologies and knowledge. Shimadzu has already developed products through this type of collaboration with customers and research institutions. The Nexera UC Prep supercritical fluid chromatograph system, launched in 2019, was developed in collaboration with pharmaceutical companies and research institutions based on needs identified in drug discovery research.
By using supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) to purify lead candidate compounds during drug discovery, the system helps streamline the development of new drugs. It also significantly reduces solvent consumption, helping to minimize environmental impact. During the early stages of development, Shimadzu worked closely with customers to identify the requirements for laboratory-scale preparative SFC systems, which were not adequately met by existing solutions at the time. Incorporating this feedback into the product helped reduce development risk, accelerate time to market, and ensure that the system meets the needs of actual research environments.
SSI views this seminar not as a one-time event, but as the first step in a long-term initiative to gather insights into the R&D process and apply them to future collaborations and product development. It is hoped that the new ideas and connections emerging from dialogue among researchers will drive next-generation analytical technologies and innovation in the life sciences field.
A New Hub for Co-Creation
In March 2026, SSI established the South San Francisco Lab on the U.S. West Coast as a new research and development hub. The surrounding area is home to numerous global pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology-related startups, making it a region with exceptionally strong interest in advanced technologies and products.
Scenes from the lab
SSI has previously established an Innovation Center at its headquarters in Maryland, where it works to contribute to solving societal challenges in the healthcare, food, and environmental sectors. At its R&D center, which opened in 2024, the company also conducts joint research with customers using prototypes and newly developed products.
With the opening of this new facility in South San Francisco, at the heart of the U.S. West Coast life sciences ecosystem, we aim to further strengthen our ability to identify customer needs and develop analytical and measuring instruments. This will further accelerate joint research and new technology development, particularly in the pharmaceutical, clinical, and energy sectors where we have traditionally focused on our efforts.
Comment from the Seminar Organizer
Kyoko Watanabe (General Manager, Product Strategy, R&D), SSI
This event was designed not only to promote our products, but also to gain a deep understanding of the challenges our customers face and work with them to jointly develop solutions. To put the SSI R&D Center’s mission of “Customer-oriented development” into practice, we selected presentation topics that address common challenges faced by research laboratories, including AI-driven development and automation, laboratory automation, and new detection technologies. We also focused on technologies that are still under development, as well as examples of their potential applications. Following the seminar, we received several requests for individual technical consultations and inquiries about joint research, which gave us a strong sense of positive response to the event. We will continue these efforts going forward and strengthen our commitment to developing new products originating from our R&D Center.
For researchers at the cutting edge of R&D, advancing technology is only part of the challenge. Increasingly, the key questions are who to work with and what new value can be created together. The seminar provided a platform for exploring this collaborative approach to innovation. Dialogue of this kind generates new ideas and opportunities for collaboration, enabling an existing technology to evolve into new innovations and ultimately leading to the creation of new products and markets.
SSI and Shimadzu Corporation will continue to foster collaboration between research and industry, bringing people and technology together, to create new value for the future.
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