TSUKUBA CONNÉCT #88 BEYOND FARM TO TABLE: The Frontier of Food and Agriculture

TSUKUBA CONNÉCT #88 is an evening program on the technical reshaping of food and agriculture. It looks at protein grown from microbes, discarded resources turned into new foods, breeding techniques that give crops different value, and robots entering harvesting and processing sites, covering how each step of growing, harvesting, moving, and eating is being rewritten. Ibaraki is one of Japan's largest agricultural producers and Tsukuba holds a dense cluster of agriculture, food, and bio research institutes, so the discussion centers on where national policy is heading, how research results reach the table, and where startups and established companies can work together. The event runs 17:30 to 21:00 at Tsukuba Startup Park, a 5-minute walk from the A1 exit of TX Tsukuba Station. It opens with an orientation session for first-time attendees, followed by a Pitch Arena on new food products with Reiko Tsutsui (co-founder and director of Tokyo Bal Inc.) pitching and Saori Hatakeyama (manager at AgVenture Lab) commenting. The 20:00 talk session brings together Hironobu Azuma (Japan Research Institute), Tomoyuki Sumi (UnlocX), and Ryusuke Komura (Venture Café Tokyo) on social implementation and industry creation in Ibaraki and Tsukuba, moderated by Yumi Atobe of Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology. In the Creative Lab track, STARTUP CAREER MEETUP vol.21 runs as a mixer for newcomers and regulars, followed by mini pitches from founders who came out of Startup Weekend Tsukuba. Networking is open the whole evening, and remote attendance is possible through the "Join Remotely" button that appears on the event page once the program starts. Pitch Arena speakers are recruited on a rolling basis through an application form.