30 January 2026 — The National Nanotechnology Center (NANOTEC), under the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), led by Professor Emeritus Dr. Sirirug Songsivilai, Chairman of the NANOTEC Executive Board, and Dr. Uracha Ruktanonchai, Executive Director of NANOTEC, together with SPIKE Architectonics Co., Ltd., visited the University of Toyama, Japan, to advance discussions on trilateral collaboration in health and medical technologies. The delegation was welcomed by Prof. Kuniaki Dohda, Special Advisor to the President of the University of Toyama.
The delegation also met with Prof. Shigeru Saito, President of the University of Toyama, to exchange views on potential areas of institutional collaboration. Subsequently, discussions with Prof. Atsushi Kato, Director of the Hospital Pharmacy Department, focused on the application of microneedle technology for targeted drug delivery. The hospital pharmacy team expressed readiness to support evaluation of transdermal delivery efficiency at different anatomical sites using microneedle platforms.
In addition, the delegation met with Prof. Yoshiharu Kawaguchi, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, who showed strong interest in applying microneedle technology for pain management and local anesthesia. Guidance was also provided on pathways toward medical device registration in Japan, including safety assessments and the need for clinical studies conducted domestically.
