Seiichiro Takahashi, Consul General of Japan in Boston, presents a traditional Ikebana calendar to AIM President and CEO Brooke Thomson during the 2026 AIM International Business Symposium at Boston University.

By Brooke Thomson
President & CEO

AIM member Commonwealth Fusion Systems is pushing the boundaries of nuclear fusion here in Massachusetts but is doing so in collaboration with key investors and suppliers from Japan.

“The economic and innovation partnership between Japan and Massachusetts is not just about trade statistics. It’s about co-creating the future of clean energy, health care and other advanced technologies,” Seiichiro Takahashi, Consul General of Japan in Boston, told an audience of AIM members yesterday.

“When we combine Japan’s breakthroughs and scientific expertise with new England’s unmatched innovation ecosystem, the potential for world-changing solutions is limitless. Our government is very committed to backing this new era of innovation-driven partnership.”

Consul General Takahashi said the long history of collaboration between Japan and Massachusetts – driven by a common passion for ideas, industries and innovation – represents the prelude to an expanding relationship built around “Tough Tech” companies like Commonwealth Fusion seeking to solve global issues.

“Massachusetts is universally recognized as a global powerhouse for innovation.  And I am incredibly proud to say that Japan is an active, thriving parter in this ecosystem,” he said.

Consul General Takahashi made his comments to business and academic leaders gathered for the 2026 AIM International Business Symposium at the Boston University Questrom School of Business. Following his remarks, I was privileged to moderate a panel discussion with Yoshi Fukuzawa, Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Vice President of Business Strategy at Nabtesco USA, Inc.; Keiichi Mochizuki, Senior Vice President & Head of Boston Branch, Mitsubishi Corporation; Sayumi Suzuki, Senior Program Manager for the Japan Desk at Cambridge Innovation Center; and Andrew King, the Allen and Kelli Questrom Professor in Strategy and Innovation at the Questrom School.

Consul General Takahashi said the number of Japanese companies operating in Massachusetts has grown two-and-a-half times, to 240, during the past 15 years. Japanese multinational companies like Takeda and other enterprises now represent the largest foreign corporate presence in the commonwealth.

That broadening economic relationship is also finding its way to startups like Commonwealth Fusion. Mitsubishi Corporation last year co-led a 12-company Japanese consortium (alongside Mitsui & Co. and others like JERA, Fujikura, and the Development Bank of Japan) to back the U.S. startup. Commonwealth Fusion also depends upon Japanese partners for high-performance semi-conductor wires.

Keiichi Mochizuki, Senior Vice President & Head Mitsubishi Corporation’s Boston office, said the investment in Commonwealth Fusion is financial, technical and operational.

“By making this consortium we tried to bring the whole value chain to help Commonwealth Fusion,” Mochizuki said.

Each of the panel members stressed the importance of cross-pollinating new ideas, designs and products from each location with the established industry capabilities of the other. Academic collaborations are also in the works – for example, MIT and Tokyo Institute of Science are embarking on a groundbreaking partnership that will include collaborative education models, joint research projects and seed funding for technology enterprises.

Discussions like the AIM International Business Symposium are important because AIM and its thousands of member companies care deeply about foreign trade and investment. AIM members have international brands that make them recognizable across the globe. International transactions, both imports and exports, products and services, represent $77 billion each year to the Massachusetts economy and support approximately 300,000 jobs.

AIM is grateful to the Consulate of Japan, the Questrom School and sponsor Massport for allowing us to have this important exchange of ideas.