Japanese

From September 14 to 16, 2026, Hiroshima University President Mitsuo Ochi participated in the Riyadh Global Medical Biotechnology Summit (RGMBS) 2026, held in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where he delivered an invited lecture.

RGMBS is an international summit that brings together leading researchers, university representatives, government officials, industry leaders, investors, and other stakeholders in the field of medical biotechnology from around the world. The fourth edition of the summit was held under the patronage of H.R.H. Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the theme “Building the Foundations of Excellence in Medical Biotechnology.” The summit was organized with the involvement of the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), and other related institutions, and was attended by experts in medicine and biotechnology from around the world.

President Ochi delivered an invited lecture entitled “Advances in Tissue-Engineered Cartilage Repair and Magnetic Therapy: From Research to Clinical Application,” in which he presented the outcomes of his long-standing research on the regeneration and repair of articular cartilage in the knee.

President Ochi has conducted research on cartilage regeneration for many years, including autologous cultured cartilage transplantation. These research achievements have led to clinical applications, and in January 2026, insurance coverage for autologous cultured cartilage transplantation was expanded to include osteoarthritis of the knee, further broadening its clinical use.

He has also pursued regenerative medicine research using magnetic force to guide stem cells to damaged areas. In his lecture, President Ochi introduced Hiroshima University’s advances in regenerative medicine, highlighting how research findings have progressed from basic research to clinical application.

Under Saudi Vision 2030 and the National Biotechnology Strategy, Saudi Arabia has positioned biotechnology as one of its key strategic sectors and is promoting research and development, human resource development, commercialization, and international collaboration. President Ochi’s invited lecture provided an opportunity to showcase Hiroshima University’s achievements in medicine and regenerative medicine internationally, while also further strengthening ties with universities and research institutions in Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East.

Hiroshima University will continue to promote international joint research and human resource exchange in the fields of medicine and biotechnology through collaboration with universities and research institutions around the world, contributing to the resolution of global challenges and the realization of a sustainable society.