Koji Akutsu is the general manager of the Intellectual Property Department at Shimadzu Corporation and a registered Patent Attorney in Japan. Mr Akutsu joined Shimadzu in 1997, initially engaging in the development of medical equipment before transferring to the Intellectual Property Department in 2004. He subsequently passed the patent attorney examination and registered in 2006. Throughout his career, Mr Akutsu has driven significant business reforms, including the launch of the IP landscape initiative in 2019. Since assuming his current role as General Manager in October 2022, he has been a strong advocate for the integration and active utilisation of generative AI within intellectual property operations. In addition to his primary role, Mr Akutsu serves as an Outside Director for Genzo AI, an Executive Director for JIPA, and a Director for IPAIGA.