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“Science and Technology Indicators” is a basic resource for understanding Japanese science and
technology activities based on objective, quantitative data. It classifies science and technology
activities into five categories, R&D Expenditure; R&D Personnel; Higher Education; The Output of
R&D; and Science, Technology, and Innovation. The multiple relevant indicators show the state of
Japanese science and technology activities. Structure of the chapter of “Output of R&D” was
changed in the Japanese Science and Technology Indicators 2013. A detailed explanation of the
concept of the counting method is provided, and the adjusted number of top 1% highly cited papers
in the world, which provides a qualitative perspective of the output, was newly analyzed. An
international comparison was made on the number of patent applications using patent families. The
“Science, Technology and Innovation” chapter has been enhanced with the addition of an indicator,
i.e. transition in the export value of medium high technology industry.
Changes in various indicators are registered in the Japanese Science and Technology Indicators
2013 compared with the previous year. Total research and development expenditure in Japan, which
has continued to decline in recent years, showed a 1.6% increase over the previous year. The number
of newly-hired researcher has been trending downward since peaking in 2009. The number of people
enrolling in undergraduate, masters and doctoral programs declined both in 2011 and 2012.
Looking at the number of papers produced in Japan, Japan was third according to the fractional
counting method (degree of contribution in the production of papers in the world). As for the
adjusted number of the top 10% and top 1% highly cited papers in the world, Japan ranked sixth and
seventh, respectively. In the number of patent families, which is the indicator for international
comparison of the number of inventions, Japan ranked number one in the world.

Grasping the signs of changes in society, science and technology is one of the key issues for our better future society developing. Such activities as scenario planning and horizon scanning are becoming popular now around the world. These efforts are also important for the companies as well as the government.
This conference aims to discuss the future direction of the foresight activities from both international and domestic viewpoints, and to share the experience around the world, including how we can grasp emerging trends of society, science and technology to elicit implications towards desirable society.

Name of the conference The 5th International Conference on Foresight: Foresight Activities for Solving Societal Issues
Dates Wednesday, February 12, 2014, 13:00-17:00
Thursday, February 13, 2014, 10:00-15:00
Venue Miral CAN Hall
Miraikan (National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation)
2-3-6 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Organizer National Institute of Science and Technology Policy
Partner Nikkei BP Mirai Institute
Program
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
12:30 Doors open
13:00 Opening Address
Mr. Yuji Sakakibara, Director-General of NISTEP
13:10 Keynote Speech
Prof. Terutaka Kuwahara (National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies)
14:00 Session 1: Government Foresight

  • Prof. Leonid Gokhberg
    (National Research University-Higher School of Economics, Russia)
  • Dr. Adrian Kuah
    (Prime Minister’s Office, Singapore)
15:30 Session 2: Innovation and business

  • Dr. Alexander Sokolov
    (National Research University-Higher School of Economics, Russia)
  • Dr. Sarah Cheah
    (Exploit Techinologies Pte Ltd)
  • Dr. Geoff Woodling
    (Business Futures Network, UK)
17:00 Close
Thursday, February 13, 2014
9:30 Doors open
10:00 Session 3: International Activities

  • Dr. Surachai Sathitkunarat
    (APEC Center for Technology Foresight)
  • Prof. Margot Weijnen
    (Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands)
  • Dr. Angela Wilkinson
    (OECD)
13:00 Session 4: Diversified Activities

  • Mr. Eric E. A. Raymundo
    (Raymundo Environmental Consultancy, Philippines)
  • Mr. John A. Sweeney
    (University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA)
  • Dr. Kuniko Urashima
    (NISTEP)
15:00 Closing Address
Mr. Atsushi Ogasawara, Director of Science and Technology Foresight Center, NISTEP

*Newest information about the conference is available at http://www.prime-pco.com/nistep2014/.

Admission fee Free
Languages Japanese and English (simultaneous interpretation available)
Capacity 300 sheets
Contact Information Science and Technology Foresight Center, NISTEP
E-mail:conference2014[insert atmark here]nistep.go.jp
Registration
Please click here for registration (External Website)

Closing date for registration: February 10, 2014, 17:00 JST
You will receive confirmation e-mail after the registration. Please print out and bring it with you to the registration desk on the day.

Despite the importance of innovation activities in business start-ups, few studies have comprehensively compared these undertakings to equivalent ones in established firms. Therefore, we compare the determinants of R&D intensity, innovation, and firm performance in start-ups and established firms with a three-stage model, using comparable datasets in Japan. Estimation results suggest that 1) the effects of public financial support on R&D intensity are positive but smaller for start-ups; 2) the effects of research cooperation with business partners and universities on innovation are positive and larger for start-up; and 3) the effects of product and process innovation on labor productivity (level and growth) are positive both for start-ups and established firms.

NISTEP has been conducting the study on sustainable saving electricity since 2011. Citizens in the Tokyo metropolitan area were forced to experience major electricity saving since the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant accident causes by the Great East Japan Earthquake. The government appealed not only to industries but also to the general households and the embassies in Tokyo. Consequently, a major scale blackout did not occur that the public was worried about. However, for ongoing saving electricity measures, Japanese industries specifically show resistance toward the lifestyle related measures such as improving electric device operation and introducing working hour shift. It is also difficult to continue the measures by being patient. Therefore, we assessed the actual situation of saving electricity; discussed on sustainable saving electricity with the experts; and figured out what the sustainable saving electricity technologies and systems are through the Delphi survey and Scenario examination. Based on the outcomes, this report studied on the future perspective of sustainable saving electricity.

The National Institute of Science and Technology Policy (NISTEP) has been conducting surveys about the regional contribution of universities and relationship between universities and local companies.

NISTEP is holding an international symposium inviting renowned scholars of regional contribution of universities from home and abroad. This symposium will include presentations on the latest examples from home and abroad, such as:

  • How foreign and Japanese universities recognize their regional contribution and their engagement
  • Benchmarking on regional contribution of universities

We hope that these presentations are to help efforts and deepening understanding of the regional contribution of universities. We look forward to your active participation in the symposium.

  • Date: Friday, November 15, 2013 [Doors Open 13:30 / Symposium 14:00-17:30]
  • Venue: Room A Iino Hall and Conference Center. (4th floor of Iino building, 2-1-1 Uchisaiwai-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) MAP
  • Language: Japanese and English (Simultaneous Translation)
  • Capacity: 100 seats

Please see the symposium program in the following PDF.

  • International Symposium on the Regional Contribution of universities
  • Application
    • Closing date for applicate: 17:00 November 11, 2013 [FCFS]
      We may stop accepting applications when we have a hundred participants.
    • Attendance Registration: Please use either one of the following two methods to apply
    • (1) Connect the following web site, and then fill in the blanks.
      https://www.libertas.co.jp/daigaku-sympo/entry_en.html

      (2) Fill in application form on reserve side of the Symposium Flyer, and then send it by FAX to Libertas Consulting (FAX: 03-3511-2162)

      We may stop accepting applications when we have a hundred participants.

    Inquiry regarding the Symposium
    • Inquiry regarding the Symposium:
      Office for International Symposium on the Regional Contribution of Universities
      Kuniko Sobajima (Agency: Libertas Consulting Co., Ltd.)
      E-Mail: dsympo@libertas.co.jp

    ※ NISTEP entrusts the operation of this symposium to Libertas Consulting Co., Ltd.

National Institute of Science and Technology Policy (NISTEP) has annually conducted the
Survey on Research Activities of Private Corporations in Japan since FY1968. The FY2012 survey mainly
focuses on the following five topics; (i) the trend of R&D expenses and staffs, (ii) patenting activities
(including the management of trade secret), (iii) innovation process (from the viewpoint of the introduction
of new products or services), (iv) cooperation with other organizations, and (v) influence of the Great East
Japan Earthquake. The 1,434 corporations, out of 3,287objects, responded to the survey.
As a result, the input and output of R&D activities within the corporation showed a downward
trend, and both R&D expenses to the outside and patent applications showed an upward trend. In the core
product and the service field, about 42% corporations achieved radical new products and services, and
about 22% corporations achieved radical new processes. Moreover, about 54% corporations did not employ
R&D staff in FY2011. As for the rate of cooperation with the external other organizations, cooperation
with the university is highest with about 64%. About the influence given to R&D activity of the Great East
Japan Earthquake, the results showed that R&D activities have not been changed in the about 77%
corporations.

In recent years the number of academic papers being published on research and development has
been increasing more slowly in Japan than in other leading nations. One of the reasons for this
may be the low ratio of internationally-collaborated articles in Japan, which tend to have more
citations than those written by domestic groups or individuals. However, up until now two major
themes have still not been investigated: factors related to international co-authorship and the
international mobility of researchers, and the reasons behind the higher citation rates of
internationally-collaborated articles. Therefore, this study examines those two themes by
empirical analysis using two types of datasets created through use of the Web of Knowledge
provided by Thomson Reuters. One of the results gained from analysis on papers published in the
past 20 years in Nature and Science using a count data regression model indicated several factors
that have a positive relationship with the production of academic papers: investment on R&D and
the number of researchers, the number of international students, and European Union membership.
The mobility of international researchers had a positive relationship with the number of
researchers at the transfer locations. Analysis using a database of papers in the field of chemistry
showed positive correlations between research performance (number of papers and their times
cited) and the degree of international collaboration. These tendencies appear to be common in
Japan, as well as in the United States, the United Kingdom, and China.