On Thursday, December 12th, a special lecture was held in Tokyo to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of Fuyo Kaiun Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Fuyo Kaiun), where CHITOSE Group CEO Fujita gave a speech. Approximately 140 people from shipping-related companies attended the lecture.

As the presentations continued on topics directly related to shipping, such as efforts at decarbonization and environmentally friendly marine fuel, Fujita, the third speaker, began his presentation abruptly with, "We are a bio company," completely changing the atmosphere in the venue, which had begun to be dominated by the shipping industry.

In his speech entitled "Trends in Bioeconomy and CHITOSE's Strategy," Fujita introduced the philosophy and initiatives of the Chitose Group (hereinafter referred to as Chitose), as well as several projects utilizing biotechnology, including "MATSURI," in which Fuyo Kaiun is also involved. He also spoke about global issues and the current situation in which Japanese companies, despite possessing advanced technology, find it difficult to take the lead in the world. He also shared his thoughts as a manager about what CHITOSE has done to address these issues and what it will do responsibly in the future. Because this was a common issue that cut across industries, the participants seemed to be listening intently, nodding occasionally.

During the Q&A session, some questions were asked directly and to the point, to which Fujita responded frankly, creating a lively atmosphere throughout the session.
The talk session that followed between Mr. Kubo of Mers Line Pte. Ltd. and Mr. Fujita was a rare opportunity to hear topics that only two business owners can discuss, including their honest thoughts about their ambitions and the struggles they face as business owners.

At this lecture, many of the participants had no previous connection to the bio industry, and it was a very meaningful time for them to become interested in bio- and photosynthesis-based industries, algae, and CHITOSE's efforts.
At the social gathering held following the lecture, many attendees said they had already heard about MATSURI through Tomiyo Kaiun and were interested in it. This gave us a renewed sense of the significance of working with partners to build an industry that could not be achieved by a single company, and the great possibilities that can result from this.
Like our existing partners, we will continue to work together across industries to build new industries.

Event Outline
Name of lecture: Fuyo Kaiun 50th Anniversary Special Lecture
Date and time: December 12, 2024 (Thursday) 13:30 - 17:00
Venue: Iino Hall Conference Center (Tokyo)
Content: Lecture by Mr. Okada of BP Japan Co., Ltd.
　　　　Lecture by Mr. Jeffrey from Purus Marine LLC
　　　　Lecture by Mr. Fujita from CHITOSE Group
　　　　Talk session between Mr. Kubo and Mr. Fujita of Mers Line Pte. Ltd.

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