The January 2020 Asia Analysis highlights the work of Katsunobu Kato, Japanese Minister for Health, Labour and Welfare, and the healthcare challenges he faces in regulating Japan’s forward-thinking approach to regenerative medicine

We also find out about the importance of higher education and language learning in Japan, two areas that fall under the remit of Kōichi Hagiuda, Japan’s Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

In a special feature, several experts from the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories share their views on precision medicine research and biobanking in China.

Elsewhere, Malcolm Brinded CBE FREng, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Chair of EngineeringUK and former President of the Energy Institute, asks if renewable energy will underpin Asian emerging economies’ growth in the future.

Two articles on artificial intelligence, together, provide extensive commentary. One comes from Guillermo Garcia at the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation, who charts the development of artificial intelligence technology for medical and industrial purposes in Japan. Agnieszka Kuczynska, from the same organisation, details the current rapid growth in artificial intelligence in Japan.

And finally, for something a little different for the publication but very welcome indeed. Pelin Baysal and Bilge Kağan Çevik of the Turkish law firm Gün + Partners (Gün + Partners), discuss the impact of non-compliance with Law No 805 that requires contracts executed in Turkey with a Turkish party to be written in the Turkish language on the validity of arbitration agreements.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the very best for 2020 and hope that you enter this new decade with a sense of optimism and positivity.