Human resources required in the field of regenerative medicine: A follow-up of the Japanese survey in 2015

In 2015, we conducted a survey of the corporate members of FIRM on the human resources and training required in the field of regenerative cell therapies and reported the results in this journal. After that, industrialization of regenerative medicine has progressed and some cell products have been approved, and infrastructures, such as laws and educational systems, have been improved. To capture the changing demands for human resources in response to the shift in social circumstances, we conducted another survey. Consequently, now, there is an increasing demand for highly specialized skills and knowledge in the field of regenerative medicine. Furthermore, it was found that QA/QC managers and specialists of pharmaceutical affairs are strongly demanded, rather than technicians of cell culture. In addition, it became evident that there are still relatively few companies that have established their own internal education systems, and, in most cases, employees are trained by senior stuff. The establishment of efficient education systems in public institutions and academic societies is desired.