Dr. Akiko Iimura is Executive Director in the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). After joining the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI, currently Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; METI) in 1994, she worked on the global environment issue and international energy policy, including the Kyoto Protocol negotiations at COP3 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the stabilization of the international oil market after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States. In recent years, she has been widely involved in science, technology, and innovation policy, such as strategy planning and evaluation for national R&D projects, promotion of university startups, industry-academia-government collaboration, STEM human resource development, enhancement of research integrity and sensitive technology management. She holds a Doctor of Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2018, a Master of Arts, Law and Diplomacy, Fletcher School, Tufts University, 2001, and a Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 1993