KAIKU Nordic-Japan Kick-off Workshop
DIFFERENT STRENGTHS. SHARED OPPORTUNITIES.
Strong Nordic–Japan relationships already exist. The opportunity is to make more movement happen between them.
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KAIKU WORKSHOPS IN TOKYO, NOVEMBER 2026
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Event Description
1. Event Title
KAIKU Nordic-Japan Kick-off Workshop
2. Date & Time
Friday, 13 November 2026, 15:00–17:00 JST
3. Venue
SAKURA DEEPTECH SHIBUYA
4. Organizer
Organizer: KAIKU Commons ry, Scrum Studio, Tokyu Land Corporation
In collaboration with: Northlink Partners, IKIGAIA Bioindustry & Innovation Group, Millainen Consulting, Finnish Chamber of Commerce in Japan / Antti Kunnas
5. Theme
Bio and Circular Business; Innovation and Co-creation
6. Purpose
KAIKU Commons ry is an independent non-profit community. This event connects companies, startups and investors with research, education, public-sector and innovation ecosystem organisations, helping Tokyo and Shibuya participants explore Nordic partnerships and supporting Japanese opportunities in the Nordics.
Under the theme of Nordic–Japan collaboration, the event features two parallel workshops (Bio and Circular Business; Innovation and Co-creation) facilitated by the co-founders of KAIKU Commons and Ikigaia, followed by networking across both groups. Participants bring a concrete need, idea or capability and seek relevant partners, pilot opportunities and agreed next steps. The event is held in English and admission is free of charge.
7. Timetable
15:00–15:10 Opening, objectives and introductions
15:10–16:15 Parallel Thematic Workshops
Workshop 1: Bio and Circular Business
Facilitators: Mikko Ruuska, Tiina Ruuska (Ikigaia)
Workshop 2: Innovation and Co-creation (Ecosystems in Motion)
Facilitators: Niilo Kervinen (Northlink Partners), Milla Ranta (KAIKU Commons)
Participants join one of the two groups in separate areas of the venue
16:15–16:30 Closing, workshop findings and next steps
16:30–17:00 Networking across both groups and feedback
8. Event Content (Overview)
Main Content
Bio and Circular Business: connecting Nordic materials and technology expertise with Japanese industrial needs in packaging, paper-based solutions, barrier materials, fibres and textile recycling
Piloting and scale-up: identifying customers, industrial partners and test environments to validate, pilot and scale up bio-based and circular solutions
Innovation and Co-creation (Ecosystems in Motion): connecting research, industry, education, cities and innovation ecosystems through early co-creation and practical commercialisation pathways
Joint projects and market access: joint research and education projects, testbeds, market access and international partnerships, defining the complementary expertise and next action each opportunity needs
Pre-event matchmaking and follow-up: participants’ needs and capabilities collected through registration and the Howspace community platform to prepare introductions; where no partner is found, KAIKU supports the opportunity pro bono for 90 days
Target Participants
Companies, startups and investors exploring Nordic partnerships Japanese companies seeking opportunities in the Nordics / Research, education, public-sector and innovation ecosystem organisations / Those working on bio-based materials, packaging, fibres or textile recycling Those with a concrete need, idea or capability seeking partners and pilot opportunities
Takeaways for Companies and Startups
Access Nordic expertise, partners, test environments and market-access routes, and identify concrete pilot and co-creation opportunities
Build connections through networking, leaving with named partners and agreed next steps toward future collaboration
Learn more about KAIKU Commons through and join the community! https://linktr.ee/KAIKUCommons