Japanese National Innovation Survey 2003

Overview of Research Activities

The current state of advanced nations is often referred to as a "knowledge-based economy." It is widely recognized that the ways in which knowledge generated through research and development is introduced into markets and corporations linked to new products and services, supports economic growth, and enables sustainable development is extremely important. Polices that promote such innovation and prepare environments for it can be found within current science and technology policies.

This survey is intended to grasp the state of innovation activities within Japanese private-sector corporations in order to obtain basic data to contribute to the development of such policies. This large-scale, national, comprehensive, and objective statistical survey of innovation activity is approved by the Minister responsible for statistics and is the first of its kind in Japan. Facing the same types of policy issues, OECD member countries and EU member countries collaborated with the OECD Secretariat and Eurostat (the Statistical Office of the European Communities) in setting common questionnaires and survey methodology for every country. Each country was recommended to carry out survey according to those guidelines. In 2003, NISTEP carried out survey based on Japan's specific characteristics and peculiar issues and in accordance with those common questionnaires and methodologies. Not only does the survey allow Japan's situation to be understood as data, it also enables that data to be understood in a truly international comparative perspective. The data can be used by each country as well as by international organizations.

The survey results are expected not only to form the basic data for policy development, but also to be contributory materials for the formulation of innovation-related strategies in business and industry.

Major OECD member countries and EU member countries have carried out this survey at least three times, and NISTEP's survey is comparable with the third round of survey. Past survey results are quoted and analyzed in OECD reports, and in the EU they are utilized as vital basic data for the development of science, technology and innovation policy.

Examples of results of past innovation survey in European countries - 1996 European Economic Area (EEA) data

(Chart source)

European Commission, Building an Innovative Economy in Europe, EUR17043,2001.