Part 1: Creativity of Japan's Science and Technology
Chapter 2 Current State and Issue of Japan's Science and Technology
Section 5 Network Among Industry, Academic and Government
1. Relation among Industry, Academic and Government: Link between Science and Technology
(Joint Researches, etc. at Universities)
In Japan, joint research centers have been established at
universities since fiscal 1987 as the footholds for the promotion of industry-academic
cooperation. The centers number 56 in fiscal 2000. At national universities,
etc., the numbers of the cases of joint researches with private businesses and
those of entrusted researches by the private businesses have increased 4.4. times
in case and 2.7 times in people from 10 years ago. The entrusted researches have
grown substantially as much as 9.7 times in terms of the amount of money.
(Trend on Number of Industry-Academic Joint Papers)
Co-authoring of papers between the researchers of private
businesses and those of universities are also on the rise. Cooperative relationship
between industries and universities are also growing ( Fig.
19 ).
Fig. 19 Trend of Number of Papers Co-authored with Universities
and its Ratio at Private Sectors
(Human Mobility between Industrial Communities and Universities,
National Research Institutes, etc.)
The interchange of human resources carries a great importance
in promoting organic cooperation among industry, academic and government. That
will promote both transferring to industries the research achievement of public
research institutes, and communicating industrial needs to the public research
institutes.
In connection with the human interchange at public research
institutes, the part-time work, in off-duty hours, to conduct R&D at businesses
or to be engaged in technical guidance at businesses has been allowed since fiscal
1996 for national test and research institutes, and fiscal 1997 for national
universities. Also, in fiscal 2000, dual assignment of university teachers to
the T.L.O. and to the directorship of businesses that use research fruits was
approved. Thus establishing the system intended for the promotion of human interchange
has been in progress.
In order to facilitate the transfer of technology from the
public research institutes to industrial communities, the systems of both leave
and dual assignment to the directorship of private businesses should be positively
utilized. The smooth operation of dual assignment permits for conducting researches
and technical guidance at businesses should also be pursued. The human interchange
should be furthered in the future.