Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Utilizing Industry-Academia Collaboration in Japan

Tatsuo Sasaki, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies
Hiromi S. Nagane, Chiba University
Kanetaka Maki, Waseda Business School

June 2020

SciREX Center

2020-#01

https://scirex.grips.ac.jp/resources/2020/SciREX_WP_2020_1.pdf

SciREX Working Paper (SciREX-WP)

Scientific research is a process that generates new knowledge, which can be
deployed in the industry to create innovation and become an engine of economic
growth. In Japan, the Basic Law on Science and Technology was enacted in 1995, and the system was transformed to create an innovation policy with a view to everything from university research to industrialization.

This paper outlines the policies for innovation creation from the 1995 Basic Law on Science and Technology to the 5th Science and Technology Basic Plan, and analyzes the environment surrounding innovation in Japan from data from the NISTEP Science and Technology Indicators 2019 (NISTEP, 2019) and the White Paper on Science and Technology (MEXT, 2019). While there is an upward trend in the joint research budgets of universities and companies and also the number of university-launched ventures, the global share of the number of highly cited papers is on the decline.

Improving the research environment and resources in universities was identified as a challenge. If industry-academia collaboration encourages only research that is useful for solving immediate problems with an awareness of practical application and commercialization, a variety of knowledge will not be accumulated in the long term, and this may be a factor that hinders the creation of innovation. The presentation of the Society 5.0 concept in the 5th Science and Technology Basic Plan can be seen as an effort to change the policy stance on innovation by presenting a vision of the future and the direction of research and development rather than the immediate issues.