On May 22, 2026, the Global Science Scholars (GSS) Program hosted Innovation Program #2: “Fireside Chat with Founders.”
The event took place in a hybrid format connecting SS-F Lighthouse Lab, SS-F’s new co-creation research hub that opened in Yokohama Kannai this April, and Bakar Labs, the startup incubator at the University of California, Berkeley. With the generous support of Bakar Labs, the session brought together participants from Japan and the United States online. All ten fellows selected for the GSS Cohort 2025 participated in the program.
The event also provided the first opportunity for fellows to meet one another in person at their respective locations, fostering new connections across research fields, institutions, and national boundaries.
Researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, and supporters of scientific innovation—individuals who typically operate in different spheres—came together in a shared space to discuss the possibilities that lie beyond research itself. Innovation Program #2 served as a forum for these conversations, encouraging participants to explore how scientific discoveries can evolve into real-world impact.
Taking the Questions Raised in Innovation Program #1 to the Next Stage
The Global Science Scholars (GSS) Program is a two-year leadership development and international exchange program for emerging researchers in Japan and the United States whose work has the potential to generate future innovations and societal impact.
In addition to fostering an international network among researchers, the program offers multiple Innovation Program sessions designed to encourage fellows to reflect on their research through a broader lens: How might my research contribute to society and future innovation?
During Innovation Program #1, held in March 2026, fellows participated in an online discussion with venture capitalists (VCs), where they openly shared their questions and perspectives on the relationship between research and societal implementation.
Questions such as the following emerged throughout the session:
- How does my research connect to society?
- What does “societal implementation” actually mean in practice?
- Do researchers need to be involved in entrepreneurship or commercialization?
These conversations revealed a strong interest among fellows in understanding how scientific discoveries move beyond the laboratory and into the real world.
Innovation Program #2 was designed as the next step in that exploration. Through conversations with researchers and entrepreneurs who have firsthand experience translating research into startups and real-world applications, the program aimed to provide a deeper understanding of the processes, decision-making, challenges, and trade-offs involved in bringing scientific ideas into society.
Innovation Program#1
“A World I Couldn’t See by Remaining Only a Researcher”
The Fireside Chat featured two distinguished speakers:Dr. Amy E. Herr, Chancellor’s Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who has played a leading role in establishing multiple research and innovation ecosystems, and Dr. Shinya Shimizu, Founder and CEO of deep-tech startup Elephantech Inc.
Drawing from their own experiences navigating both academia and entrepreneurship, the speakers shared candid insights into the opportunities, challenges, and mindset shifts involved in translating research into real-world impact.
Both speakers emphasized that stepping beyond the traditional boundaries of academia exposed them to entirely new perspectives—perspectives that were difficult to see while operating solely as researchers. Through their stories, fellows gained a firsthand look at how scientific discoveries can evolve into technologies, products, and ventures that create value for society.
Shinya Shimizu, Founder and CEO of Elephantech Inc.
Amy E. Herr, Chancellor’s Professor at the University of California, Berkeley (left on screen)
Both speakers have built distinguished careers as researchers while pursuing societal impact through very different paths. During the session, they spoke candidly not only about their successes, but also about the uncertainties, frustrations, and setbacks they encountered along the way.
Professor Herr described herself as a “reluctant entrepreneur.” Entrepreneurship was never her original goal. However, through her involvement with startups, she witnessed her research extend far beyond the boundaries of the laboratory and contribute to solving real-world problems in ways she had never anticipated.
She reflected on how bringing research into society creates new forms of value and application that would not emerge within academia alone. These experiences reinforced her belief in the importance of connecting scientific discovery with practical implementation.
Shimizu began by sharing a sense of frustration he felt during his graduate studies at the University of Tokyo. Japan, he observed, possesses world-class scientific research, yet often lacks effective mechanisms for translating those discoveries into societal value.
Driven by this challenge, he pursued a career in consulting before founding Elephantech. He also spoke openly about the difficulties he faced in the company’s early years, including receiving repeated rejections and skepticism from investors. Drawing on these experiences, he emphasized that bringing research into society requires far more than scientific excellence alone—it also depends on securing capital, attracting talent, and building connections to markets and industry.
Bridging Science and Capital Markets
One of the most memorable moments of the session came when Shimizu remarked that “the role of an entrepreneur is to bridge science and capital markets.”
Scientific excellence alone is rarely enough to bring a technology into society. Translating research into real-world impact requires a wide range of resources—talent, infrastructure, funding, partnerships, and customers.
There is often a significant gap between deepening a scientific question and delivering its outcomes to society. Yet when individuals are able to bridge that gap, the potential impact of research can expand dramatically.
Professor Herr added that the very experiences researchers encounter every day—failure, uncertainty, and repeated experimentation—can become powerful assets in entrepreneurship. In her view, research and entrepreneurship share a common foundation: both involve pursuing ambitious goals in the face of uncertainty and continuously learning from setbacks.
At the same time, both speakers emphasized that demonstrating something in a research setting and creating a product that can be sustainably adopted by society are fundamentally different challenges. Success in the laboratory does not automatically translate into success in the marketplace. Moving from discovery to societal implementation requires new perspectives, different decision-making processes, and an understanding of factors that extend far beyond the science itself.
Fellows Reflect on the Next Questions in Their Own Journeys
During the Q&A session, fellows from both Japan and the United States actively engaged with the speakers, raising a wide range of questions:
- How can researchers balance academic careers with entrepreneurship?
- At what stage should researchers begin thinking about societal implementation?
- How should researchers engage with venture capitalists and investors?
The session did not offer simple or definitive answers. Instead, the speakers shared candid reflections drawn from their own experiences, providing fellows with valuable perspectives as they considered the future trajectories of their own research.
Participants later reflected on the discussion, noting that:
“Hearing about the difficult decisions and personal struggles involved in transitioning from researcher to entrepreneur was particularly impactful.”
“The session gave me a concrete opportunity to think about how my own research could connect to societal implementation.”
“Talking with researchers and entrepreneurs from different fields broadened my perspective in ways I hadn’t expected.”
For many fellows, the session was not about finding immediate answers, but about discovering new questions—questions that will continue to shape how they think about research, innovation, and their potential roles in creating impact beyond academia.
Building the First Connections in a Japan–U.S. Community
The networking session following the Fireside Chat sparked lively conversations among fellows, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and research supporters, transcending disciplinary and professional boundaries.
The event also marked the first major in-person gathering involving all fellows of the GSS Cohort 2025. In Yokohama, small groups formed throughout the venue as participants exchanged ideas about research, careers, and future aspirations. In Berkeley, discussions continued well into the evening over dinner, reflecting the enthusiasm and curiosity shared across the cohort.
Through Innovation Program #2, fellows were exposed to both the challenges and opportunities involved in translating research into societal impact. Building on these insights, Innovation Program #3 will encourage fellows to further explore how their research may connect to real-world problems and begin developing business concepts and pitch ideas based on those connections.
The goal of the GSS Program is not to turn every fellow into an entrepreneur.
Rather, it is to cultivate researchers who can think critically about the value their work may create, understand their research within a broader societal context, and engage with the pathways through which scientific discoveries can generate impact. Equally important is the creation of a lasting community in which researchers from Japan and the United States can continue to exchange ideas, form collaborations, and pursue new challenges together.
The dialogue between Yokohama and Berkeley represented an important milestone in that longer journey.
SS-F will continue to create opportunities that connect researchers with innovation ecosystems, exploring new ways to help scientific discoveries reach and benefit society.
Special Thanks to Bakar Labs, our Venue Sponsor in the United States, for supporting this event and helping foster connections between researchers and innovation ecosystems across Japan and the United States.
