Science, Technology and
Innovation Policies in Japan:
Lessons and Best Practices
Masuo Aizawa
Counselor to the President, Japan Science and
Technology Agency (JST)
Former Executive Member, Council for S&T Policy,
Cabinet Office, Government of Japan
Casa Asia, Madrid and Valencia, Spain, Dec. 3,4, 2013
Contents
1. Japan as Attracting the World
2. What Japan Prioritizes in S&T
and Innovation Policy
3. Pursuit Global Excellence in
Basic Research
4. Drive Comprehensive S&T and
Innovation Strategy
Fujisan, UNESCO World Heritage 2013
Beauty of Nature
TOKYO
SKYTREE
Japan Industrial Technology Grand Prize 2013
Function & Beauty of Technology
Japan as Attracting the World
Global Excellence
Science
Technology
Japanese
Culture
Transformation in Growth and Innovation
GII(Global Innovation Index), GDP(Growth Domestic Product), (Data: INSEAD, 2012)
Historical
Shift to the East
USA: GII=10,
GDP=1
Canada: GII=12,
GDP=11
UK: GII=5,
GDP=7
Germany: GII=15,
GDP=4
Italy: GII=36,
GDP=8
Franc: GII=24,
GDP=5
Innovation New Power
Rising Asia as
Growth Center
Switzerland: GII=1,
DP=19
Japan: GII=25,
GDP=3
Sweden:
GII=2,
GDP=21
Singapore: GII=3,
GDP=40
Finland:
GII=4,
GDP=36
Netherland: GII=6,
GDP=17
Russia: GII=56, GDP=9
Denmark: GII=7,
GDP=30
Brazil: GII=47, GDP=6
Norway: GII=14,
GDP=24
China: GII=34,
GDP=2
India: GII=62,
GDP=10
Korea: GII=21,
GDP=15
Ireland: GII=9, GDP=45
Israel: GII=17, GDP=39
Japan’s Initiatives in Global Innovation
Transformation in S&T
Globally Competitive and Collaborative
World Share
of Articles (%)
World Rank
in Articles
in Top 1% (#)
Germany: 7.5%,
#4
UK: 7.4%,
#2
France: 5.5%,
#5
Italy: 4.5%,
#8
Data from NISTEP (2013)
USA: 26.3%, #1
Canada:4.4%,
#6
Rising Asia in S&T
China:12.0%,
#3
Japan: 6.6%,
#7
Korea: 3.0%, # 13
Pursuit Global Excellence in Basic Research
through International Knowledge Network
Pursuing Global Excellence
Quantity
Quality
Excellence
Scale &
Volume
Global
Harmonization
Catching up the Frontier
Shaping the Future
“Japan as Number One”
Japan as Attracting the World
Contents
1. Japan as Attracting the World
2. What Japan Prioritizes in S&T
and Innovation Policy
3. Pursuit Global Excellence in
Basic Research
4. Drive Comprehensive S&T and
Innovation Strategy
Japan’s System for S&T
S&T Policy Making
Council for S&T Policy (CSTP)
Cabinet Office
S&T Policy Making in Ministry
(MEXT, METI, ・・・)
Society
Funding Agency
(JSPS, JST, NEDO,・・・)
Universities
Research Institutions
Innovation
Comprehensive STI Strategy
Shaping
the Future
Sustainable
Prosperous
S&T
Basic Research
Human
Resources
Attract the World by
Global Excellence
Nurture Individuals
with Creativity and
Global Perspective
The 4th S&T Basic Plan (2011-2015)
Japan’s Investment in S&T
Investment Target in the 4th S&T Basic Plan
1) Public: 1% GDP (25 Trillion Yen for 5 years)
2) Public + Private: 4% GDP
FY2012 S&T Budget
Public in total: 51,268 Billion Yen
(Supplemental Budget:994.9 Billion Yen and
Local Government Budget: 440.4 Billion Yen)
Quantum-Leap and Disruptive !
Knowledge
Creation
Quantum-Leap
Knowledge
Disruptive
Innovation
Incremental
innovation
Value Creation
“I have a great respect for incremental improvement, and I
have done that of thing in my life, but I’ve been always
attracted to the more revolutionary changes.“
Steve Jobs
Government Funding for STI
Global Excellence
CSTP: FIRST
JSPS: WPI
JST : Strategic Basic Research
( ERATO,CREST, PREST)
JSPS :Basic Research
(Science Grant-in-Aide)
Innovation
Ministry Programs
for STI(MEXT, METI,
MHLW, MLIT,
MOE, MIC, MOFA)
Funding Agency
Programs (JSPS,
JST, NEDO, NIBIO)
New Programs:
COI, ACCEL
Large-scale Research Infrastructure
Contents
1. Japan as Attracting the World
2. What Japan Prioritizes in S&T
and Innovation Policy
3. Pursuit Global Excellence in
Basic Research
4. Drive Comprehensive S&T and
Innovation Strategy
Why Global Excellence?
 Increasing Nobel Laureates from Japan
 Increasingly Globally Recognized Awardees
 Increasingly Most-cited Articles
But, Declining Presence of Japan in Science
Indicators
Nobel Laureates in
Prof. Yamanaka
Natural Science
16
S&T Basic Plan
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
Year
Pursuing Global Excellence (I)
FIRST (Funding Program for World-leading
Innovative R&D on S&T) CSTP, MEXT/JSPS
World-leading 30 Core-Researchers
Granted by Yen 100 Billion
for 5 years (2009-2013)
From Basic to Applied Research in Diversified Areas
Selected from 565 Applicants
System Reform of Funding and Infrastructure
Successful in Creating Global Excellence
Disruptive Innovation with Vast Expectation
30 Core Researchers of FIRST (1)
Prof. Shinya Yamanaka (Kyoto University)
2012 Awarded Nobel Prize in Physiology & Medicine
Shared with Prof. John Gurdon
They discovered that a mature, adult cell, can be turned
back to an infant, versatile state called stem cell.
Disruptive Innovation Expected in
Regenerative Medicine & Drug Discovery
iPS cell (2006, 2007)
Global
Excellence
Quantum-leap
Knowledge Creation
ES cell (1981)
30 Core Researchers of FIRST (2)
Prof. Hideo Hosono
Tokyo Institute of Technology
Exploration of New Superconductors and
Related Functional Materials and Application
of Superconducting Wires for Industry
Quantum-Leap Knowledge Creation
1) ERATO/JST: Indium gallium zinc oxide
(IGZO)-Thin Film Transistor (TFT)
2) JST: Iron-based high temperature super
conductors (2008)
The Most-Cited Paper of 2008
3) FIRST: New Superconducting materials
New ammonium catalyst
Pursuing Global Excellence (II)
WPI (World Premier International
Research Center Initiative) MEXT/JSPS
Open Research Platform
Attract the World Brains
Create New Science by Fusion
University Systems Reform
Successful in Creating World-Class
Research Center
Global Excellence
9 WPI’s as World-Class Research Center
Osaka University
IFReC: Immunology Frontier Research
Center
-Elucidating the dynamic immune
system using Bioimaging technology
The most cited
immunologist in the world
over five consecutive years
Shizuo Akira
Kyoto University
iCeMS: Institute for Integrated CellMaterial Sciences
-Integrating cell and material sciences
to create new cross-disciplinary-fields,
thereby advancing stem cell
technologies and mesoscopic sciences
Norio Nakatsuji
Kyushu University
I2CNER: International Institute for
Carbon-Neutral Energy Research
-Creating science-driven technologies
for producing, storing and using
hydrogen and for capturing and
sequestering CO2
The University of Tokyo
IPMU: Institute for the Physics and
Mathematics of the Universe
-Elucidating the origin and evolution
of the universe through collaboration
among math, physics and astronomy
Petros Sofronis
Hitoshi Murayama
Tohoku University
AIMR: Advanced Institute for
Materials Research
-Discovering innovative substances and
creating related devices/systems using
atomic/molecular control methods
Motoko Kotani
National Institute for Materials
Science
MANA: International Center for
Materials Nanoarchitectonics
-Developing materials to advance
sustainable development based
on nanoarchitectonics
Masakazu Aono
New WPI’s
Univ. of Tsukuba, IIIS (International Inst. Integrated Study), M.Yanagisawa
Tokyo Institute of Technology, ELSI (Earth Life Science Inst.), T. Hirose
Nagoya University, ITbM (Inst. Transformative Bio-molecules), K. Itami
Contents
1. Japan as Attracting the World
2. What Japan Prioritizes in S&T
and Innovation Policy
3. Pursuit Global Excellence in
Basic Research
4. Drive Comprehensive S&T and
Innovation Strategy
Evolving Innovation
 Becoming Globalized in Innovationdriven Growth
-Innovation New Powers
 Becoming More Open and Global in the
Innovation Process than Ever
-Globally Networked Age
 Becoming Crucial for Solving Social
Challenges
-Issue-driven Innovation
Comprehensive STI Strategy
Solution
Value Creation
Issue-driven STI
Prioritized Policy Issues
I. Recovery and Revitalization from the Earthquake
II. Green Innovation Addressing Energy & Environment Issues
III. Life Innovation Addressing Ageing & Health Issues
Diversity of Approaches
Across Disciplines and Sectors
Industry
Government
Academia
Green Innovation
Social Issues of Energy & Environment
- Secure Clean Low-cost Energy Supply
- Energy Shift from Nuclear Power
- Address Climate Change and Natural Disasters
- Reduce Global GHG Emission by 50% by 2050
Prioritized Policy Issues
Addressed by Cross-Ministry Initiatives
1. Secure Clean Low-cost Energy Supply
2. Decentralize the Energy System
3. Innovative Energy Use
4. Greener Infrastructure
1. Secure Clean Low-cost Energy Supply
-Extensive Employment of Renewable Energy1) Innovative Technology Development on Solar Power
Generation Systems
-Drastically improve efficiency and costeffectiveness of existing systems (e.g., Si, CIS systems)
Cost reduction target: \14/kWh by 2020
-Develop next-generation solar power generation
(e.g., organic systems, quantum dot, nanowire systems)
2) Technology Development on Other Renewable Energy
Systems
-Wind (Off-Shore)
-Geothermal
-Bioenergy
3) Incentives for Renewable Energy Dissemination (e.g.,
Feed-in-Tariff (FIT))
2. Decentralize the Energy System
-Innovative Conversion/Storage/Transport-Safe and economic conversion, storage and transportation
of energy in the forms of electrical energy, thermal energy,
and chemical energy.
-Dealing with the temporal variations and spatial gaps rising
from the utilization of fluctuating and widespread sources.
1) Innovative Energy Storage
-High performance Li ion batteries
-Next-generation battery technologies
2) Innovative Energy Conversion and Transport
-Fuel Cells
-Co-generation
-Energy Carrier
3) Smart Energy Management
-HEMS, BEMS, CEMS
-Smart City
Cross-Ministry (MEXT/METI) Initiatives on
Energy Carrier Utilization Technologies
Establishment of Hydrogen Energy Society
1. Development of Innovative Energy Carriers
-Technology development of hydrogen
production using renewable energy
-Basic technology development of new energy
carriers including Ammonia
2. Establishment of Hydrogen Infrastructure
-Technology development of hydrogen
stations
-Establishment of hydrogen stations
3. Development of Safety Evaluation
Technologies Pertaining to Hydrogen Stations
Life Innovation
Social Issues of Ageing and Health
- Healthy Ageing
- Health Care for Preventing Diseases
- International Competitiveness of Medicine
- Reduction of Medical Expenditures
Prioritized Policy Issues
Addressed by Cross-Ministry Initiatives
1. Innovative Prevention Medicine
2. Regenerative Medicine
3. Innovative Medical Technology
4. Improved QOL in Ageing Society
Cross-Ministry Initiative for
Regenerative Medicine
Regenerative Medicine Networking Program
(MEXT)
Basic
Research
Regenerative Medicine
Initiative (MHLW)
Clinical
Research
Clinical
Application
2013
Stem Cell Initiative
(METI)
Regenerative
Medicine
Highway
(Cross-Ministry
Program of
MEXT, MHLW,
METI)
Regulatory Science Program (MHLW)
2014
2015
Large Scale Infrastructure (MEXT/Riken)
Comprehensive STI Strategy
SACLA (Spring-8 Angstrom
Compact Free Electron Laser)
Dream Beam Comes True!
X-ray Free Electron Laser with the world’s shortest
wave length , 0.063 nm, allowing us to observe the
instantaneous movement of atoms and molecules.
Supercomputer “KEI, 京”
The K computer is produced by Fujitsu, currently
installed at the RIKEN Advanced Institute for
Computational Science in Kobe.
Speed is 10 petaflops of computation.
International Hub to Attract Researchers
S&T Diplomacy for Green Innovation
S&T Research Partnership for
Sustainable Development (SATREPS), JST/JICA
MOFA/JICA
Collaboration
MEXT/JST
ODA
Univ/Res Inst in
Developing
Countries
Research Partnership
Univ/Res Inst in
Japan
Japan’s Initiatives in Global Innovation (I)
Decades of Accomplishment
Under Univ/Ind/Gov Partnership
 Perpendicular Magnetic Recording
S. Iwasaki (1975)
 Blue LED
I. Akazaki (1985)
 Nd(Dy) Magnet
M. Sagawa (1984)
 Lithium Ion Battery
A. Yoshino (1985)
 Carbon Fiber
Japan’s Initiative in Global Innovation (II)
Upcoming 1
IGZO
Quantum-leap Knowledge Creation
Prof. Hideo Hosono
Tokyo Institute of Technology Disruptive Innovation!
ERATO/JST: Indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO)-Thin
Film Transistor (TFT)
2003, Crystalline, 2004, Amorphous
IGZO-TFT has 20-5- times higher mobility than that of
amorphous Si, which has been used for current LCD’s.
IGZO-TFT and applications are patented by JST, and
have been licensed to Samsung Electronics in 2011, Sharp
in 2012, etc.
Japan’s Initiative in Global Innovation (II)
Upcoming 2
Robot Suit “HAL”
Prof. Y. Sankai
Tsukuba University
FIRST: CSTP, One of 30 Core Researchers
HAL has been designed to support and expand the physical
capabilities of its users, particularly people with physical
disabilities.
Clinical Test of HAL for Medical Treatment starts
internationally in Japan, Europe, and U.S.A.
Received a global safety certificate in 2013
An European Conformity certificate in 2013
Japan’s Initiative on Global Innovation (II)
Upcoming 3
Cell Sheet
Prof Teruo Okano
Tokyo Women’s
Medical University
CREST (JST)
NEDO Project
FIRST (CSTP)
Clinical Trials for Cell Sheet
Transplantation: Cornea, Heart, etc
Cell Sheet
Temp. Responsive Polmer
Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)
(PIPAAm)
Maintain structure and
Functions
T Changes
（37→20℃）
Hydrophilic Surfaces
Japan’s Initiative in Global Innovation (II)
Upcoming 4
iPS Cell
Team Japan
Quantum-leap Knowledge Creation
CREST (JST/MEXT): 2003-2008
NEDO (METI), NIBIO (MHLW)
FIRST (CSTP): 2009-2013
Cross-Ministry Initiative on
Regenerative Medicine & Drug Discovery
Toward Disruptive Innovation with Vast Expectation
Clinical Research Approved in 2013: Dr. M. Takahashi, Riken
Summary
 Prioritizing Japan’s STI Policy on
1) Reinforcement of Basic Research
for Pursuing Global Excellence,
2) Issue-driven S&T and Innovation
for realizing Sustainable Growth, and
3) Human Resources Development
for Nurturing Individuals with Creativity
and Global Perspective
 Accelerating Revitalization of Japan:
Comprehensive STI Strategy
Cabinet Decision, Government of Japan
June 7, 2013
38