The 1^st Sino-Japanese Symposium on Process Chemistry (SJPC2025) co-organized by Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (SIOC), Commission of Process Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CPC-CAS) and the Japanese Society for Process Chemistry (JSPC) was held in SIOC, Shanghai,on June 21-23, 2025. Professor Dawei Ma from SIOC and Professor Takahiko Akiyama from Gakushuin University co-chaired the inaugural symposium, 312 delegates and 11,687 online audiences participated this event. During the opening ceremony presided by Professor Wenjun Tang from SIOC, Professor Dawei Ma, Professor Takahiko Akiyama and Vice Director of SIOC,Professor Ang Li delivered the warmest welcome to all participants on behalf of CPC-CAS, JSPC, and SIOC, respectively.

22 Keynote speakers and 13 invited speakers from both academia and industry delivered exciting lectures in the 2-day scientific program, ranging from the latest development on reactions and catalysis, process research and optimization, to crystallization technology, continuous reactions and processes, and artificial intelligence.

On reaction development and catalysis, Professor Qilin Zhou from Nakai University disclosed their recent development on reduction of carboxylic acids derivatives with transition-metal catalysis and electrochemistry; Professor Shuji Akai from Osaka University discussed their supported enzymatic catalysis and asymmetric cross-coupling with supported oxovanadium catalysts; Professor Taku Kitanosono from Tokyo University described the development of biocompatible chiral scandium catalysts for ring opening reactions of epoxide; Professor Takahiko Akiyama from Gakushuin University detailed their pioneering work on chiral phosphoric acid catalysis and their progress on asymmetric group-transfer reactions; Professor Xiaoming Feng from Sichuan University introduced several highly efficient reactions with his iconic chiral bisamine oxide catalysts; Professor Xumu Zhang fromSouthern University of Science and Technology introduced the applications of his signature phosphorus ligands in API productions and the concept of @ catalysis; Professor Keiji Mori from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology discussed a hydride shift-mediated C-H bond functionalization; Professor Shuichi Nakamura from Nagoya Institute of Technology presented chiral imidazoline catalysts and N-heteroarenesulfonylated cinchona alkaloid amid catalysts in asymmetric nucleophilic addition for the synthesis of chiral tertiary amines; Dr. Guangqing Xu from Shaoxing Zejun Pharma introduced the production of vicinal chiral amine and the discovery of diboron-participated [3,3]sigmatropic rearrangement; Professor Dawei Ma from SIOC disclosed their latest development and applications of copper-catalyzed coupling in carbon-carbon bond-forming reaction and formation of chiral sulfilimines; Professor Yunjie Ding from Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics discussed their latest development and production on heterogeneous hydroformylation of ethylene to form propanol and industrial transformation of syngas to C₄+ primary alcohols; Dr. Bin Wu from Suzhou Novartis showed aryl-alkyl cross-coupling using two different electrophiles using bimetallic or multi-metallic catalysis; Professor Wanbin Zhang from Shanghai Jiao Tong University discussed the synthetic process of chiral drugs and fine chemicals with chiral imidazole and phosphorus ligands employing bimetallic catalysis and earth-abundant transition metal catalysis; Professor Shigenobu Umemiya from Tohoku University disclosed highly efficient allylation of sterically hindered aldehydes; Professor Takashi Ohshima from Kyushu University discussed the deprotonation method under neutral conditions with TIPSOTf/DBU and previewed their Digi-TOS project.

On process research and development, Dr. Cheng Yi Chen at Asymchem showed the process development of KRAS inhibitor adagrasib with innovative chemistry on chiral diamine and chiral biaryl synthesis. Dr. Kaijiong Xiao from Merck briefly introduced their tremendous work on process development of PCSK9 inhibitor enlicitide; Dr Hongwei Yang from Wuxi STA introduced the green chemistry and engineering technology at Wuxi STA and showed how they solve tough problems and challenges to deliver products under tight time frame; Professor Yong Qin from Sichuan University released their cost-effective synthetic process of vinblastine and the discovery of related ADC drugs; Professor Shinichiro Fuse from Nagoya University addressed several critical issues in peptide synthesis by inventing new reagents and microflow technology; Dr Feng Gao from Shanghai Jiao Tong University presented the asymmetric synthesis of bedaquiline using chiral lithium chemistry and its process development via flow. Dr. Fu Peng from MuJin Chem described the paramount role of catalysis in developing cost-effective routes and processes; Professor Kazuo Nagasawa in Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology reported the sterically hindered and stereoselective carbon-carbon bond-forming reaction by developing guanidium hypoiodite catalysts; Professor Yusuke Sasano from Tohoku University reported the aerobic oxidation of alcohols and amines via nitroxyl radical catalysis; Dr. Ning Ye from Rezubio Pharma presented the process development of ET130, process optimization on oxidation and fluoroalkylation; Dr Hirotsugu Usutani from Ono Pharmaceuticals discussed the process development of EPI-589 on flow and the scale-up of anodic oxidation; Dr Wei Li from Suzhou Novartis discussed a commercially viable synthesis for SHP2 inhibitor TNO155.

Development of new technology is essential for today’s process chemistry. Dr. Yuanqiang Li in Jiuzhou Pharmaceuticals introduced their state-of-the-art facilities on flow reactors and scale-up on hypervalent iodine reagent; Dr. Atsushi Kaga from Spera Pharma introduced MicroED technology in controlling polymorph of APIs; Professor Shengyang Tao from Dalian Institute of Technology introduced the high-throughput and continuous flow optimization method in reaction development and previewed their chemistry lab in AI world; Dr. Nobuaki Fukui from Shionogi described the process development of Baloxavir and Ensitrelvir, via a key crystallization-induced dynamic transformation on carbon-nitrogen bond formation; Professor Chengxi Li from Zhejiang University introduced the strategy and tactics for the synthesis of cyclic peptide with synthesizer in the era of AI; Dr Joji Tsurumoto from iFactory introduced the state-of-the-art facility and engineerings for a fully automated continuous production of APIs; Dr. Yang Qu from Beigene emphasized the importance of DOE in process development; Dr. Xiaoxue Wan from ChemLex introduced the reaction development and optimization with high throughput data and Bayesian deep learning; Dr. Fanfu Guan from Hengrui Pharmaceuticals introduced the study of flash chemistry with flow by showcasing deprotonation/carboxylation and mechanistic study on hydroformylation.

Dr. Yi Hsiao from QR Pharmaceuticals made the conclusion remarks for SJPC2025. All speakers, participants, and sponsors accoladed the success of the symposium and anticipated the next meeting in Japan in the coming years.