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Are you interested in selling your bio-related products into Japan? Participate in our Montana Pavilion at the BioJapan Trade Show this October; this event will be focused on the biotechnology, regenerative medicine and healthtech sectors.
There is little to no cost for you to participate. In collaboration with the Montana World Trade Center, the Montana Bioscience Cluster Initiative and Montana’s Trade Office in Japan, ExportMontana will pay for a booth and furniture via our Montana State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) grant, funded by a U.S. Small Business Administration grant. Additionally, up to $2,000 in travel costs for one of your staff can be reimbursed from our grant program.
Interested? Complete the online grant application by May 15; additional instructions regarding the pavilion will be sent to you afterward.
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Why BioJapan?
BioJapan is the largest show in Japan focused on the bio industry. This show will bring together three components to be one of the best partnering opportunities for the industry: Biotechnology, regenerative medicine and healthtech (learn more about the show and attendees here).
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BioTechnology: The Japanese government’s bioeconomy strategy advances biotechnology developments and provides U.S. companies with potential export opportunities. According to a 2019 survey by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), Japan’s bioindustry market size is 3.6 trillion yen (US $32 billion) – narrowly defined to include cutting-edge products and services, such as gene recombination and biomolecule analysis. Read more here.
Healthtech: The continuous growth of Japan’s digital health industry has been driven by a confluence of factors, including Japan’s large and aging population, the country’s advanced IT infrastructure and a rapid shift to digital that has been accelerated by COVID-19. With healthcare spending increasing in Japan, the Japanese government is seeking ways to lower costs by increasing R&D investment and improving regulations for digital health goods and services. Read more here.
What is a Montana Pavilion?
Simply put, we take care of all non-revenue-generating activities regarding trade shows, such as reserving booth space, ordering graphics, etc. This means you can focus on doing business at the show and following up on connections.
We provide all the booth amenities, like furniture and electricity. You can promote your products and services from smaller kiosks within the booth and set up one-on-one business meetings. We will also offer some pre-show training and in-country staff support.
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What is the grant for?
Since we’ll be paying for everything for the booth at the show, there won't be much cost to participants. The travel stipend provides reimbursement for up to $2,000 of one staff person’s travel expenses (hotel and airfare). We anticipate that total travel expenses per staff person will be $2,500, so with the $2,000 reimbursement, total out-of-pocket expenses would be $500 for one staff member and $3,000 for two staff members.
How do I apply?
Apply by May 15 to reserve your spot by going online here.
Log in: To save your application and finish it or access it later, just create an account (use the Log In link at the top right of the screen).
Introduction: Fill out the bottom of the page to progress to the next step.
Business Information: Fill out the entire section. If you need help with your NAICS or HS Code, let us know.
Export Plan: Complete this section as it relates to your Asian strategy.
Application:
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Do not check International Trade Show Exhibition.
- Check International Travel Stipend and enter:
- 2,000
- October 11-13, 2023
- Montana Pavilion at BioJapan
- If you want to apply for additional services (see How can I make BioJapan even more useful? below), check those boxes, too, and enter the appropriate information.
Goals and Certifications: Fill out this entire section and click Submit (top left under the menu). You can also continue on to Submission and Next Steps and Review, and then submit.
What's next?
After May 15, we will review the applications and determine approvals. Applicants will be notified prior to May 31.
We recommend you wait until after official approval before making any travel plans.
We will host an orientation and Q&A webinar in June to get you fully prepared for BioJapan. More information will be sent in early June.
How can I make BioJapan even more useful?
Let us know if you're interested in learning more about any of these additional services to prepare for BioJapan. If you already know you want to use them for BioJapan, be sure to include them in your BioJapan application, or you can apply at a later time.
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Initial Market Check: Not sure if Japan is the right market for your product? We can work with our Japan Office to assess your potential.
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International Partner Search: If you don’t already have a sales rep or distributor (partners) in Japan, we can work with our Japan Office to help set up Zoom meetings with potential partners before the show. Then you can either pick a distributor before the show and have them join you in our booth, or you can invite your top choices to our booth and meet with them onsite to make your decision.
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International website and digital marketing: Want to drive traffic to visit you in the BioJapan booth? Need an international landing page for the connections made while at BioJapan? If you want to place digital ads on LinkedIn, Facebook, Google, etc., or if you want to localize your website for Asian markets, we can connect you with a contractor who can help. The STEP grant can reimburse some of the costs
- If you have other ideas on how to make BioJapan even more useful for you, let us know. We'll try to connect you with the right contact to make it happen, and see if your idea is eligible for STEP grant reimbursement.
Questions?
Contact International Trade Officer Katie Willcockson at 406-841-2750 or kwillcockson@mt.gov.
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