Dr Laura Barbieri, STINT Science Fellow in Japan and South Korea, presents the latest report in our Academic Internationalisation Outlook series. This report, launched on 12 June 2026, focuses on the Tokyo–Yokohama science and innovation cluster.
This STINT Outlook provides an overview of Tokyo–Yokohama, a leading global science and innovation cluster with one of the world’s greatest urban concentrations of scientific and technological activity. According to WIPO’s Innovation Cluster Index 2025, the region is ranked as the world’s second most innovation intensive cluster, based on indicators such as patents, research publication, and venture capital activity.
With globally recognised institutions such as the University of Tokyo, Science Tokyo, and Keio University, as well as companies like Mitsubishi Electric, NTT, and NEC, the cluster shows excellent performance in the areas of research, patenting, and industrial innovation, despite facing challenges related to innovation finance, international talent mobility, and system coordination. Dr Laura Barbieri, author of the report and STINT Science Fellow in Japan and South Korea, presents important insights on the cluster in the video.
It is in Sweden’s strategic interest to deepen knowledge of this unique ecosystem, not least to facilitate networking and the further development of partnerships with universities, research institutes, and companies in the region.
This is the second report in a series on global science and innovation clusters, which also includes Boston–Cambridge and Guangdong–Hongkong–Macao. The report is aimed at researchers, research funders, and anyone interested in international collaboration with Japan.
