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* According to the results of a survey of private corporations regarding important research and development strategies for the future, many companies said "improving product development to respond to consumer needs" and "increasing originality in product development" are important. Companies are trying to respond to consumer needs, while, at the same time, they are striving to create new and revolutionary technical innovation. Companies are making efforts to create new and revolutionary technical innovation in order to build a dynamic economic current in the next century ( Figure 14 ).

Figure 14 Important factors in improving research and development strategies (plans)

* As these trends in private business show, drastic changes in Japan's economic and social systems, through creation of new industries, for example, are necessary in order to respond to competition in today's global economy. At the same time, private corporations must also produce innovative, universal results.

* Creative, universal results are also necessary to respond to the interests and needs of the public, including a high standard of medical care and appropriate safety strategies to cope with earthquakes and other disasters, and in response to important issues affecting all of humanity, such as environmental problems.

Efforts with an extensive and overlooking perspective, which establish appropriate goals and carry out coordination necessary to bringing together a wide range of scientific and technological knowledge and expertise, to carry out research result must be supported by research management that create innovative, universal research result.

1) The Level of Japan's Research

* Researchers and private corporations believe Japan lags somewhat behind North America and Europe in its level of research and technological capabilities, particularly in basic research and advanced science and technology ( Figure 15 ).

Figure 15 Comparisons of basic and applied research in Japan and the US and in Japan and Europe

* Japan's share of the total number of scientific papers produced and citations awarded throughout the world is increasing. Still, the share of citations from Japan remains low. In particular, efforts are needed to improve the quality of Japan's scientific papers ( Figure 16 ).

Figure 16 Percentage of scientific papers produced and citations awarded in each country

* Japan must now take steps to strengthen basic research and advanced science and technology and to improve the research environment. In doing so, it is important for Japan to make sure its science and technology capabilities are equivalent to worldwide levels.

* Because of its influence on various fields of applied science and research, basic research is especially important in order to respond to economic and social needs in this era of change.

Japan's Research Environment

* Many companies said the siting conditions of research centers and institutions in the United States and Europe are superior to those in Japan. The most frequently cited reasons for this include the existence of excellent research institutions and facilities and the availability of excellent research personnel ( Figure 17 ).

Figure 17 A comparison of siting conditions of research centers and facilities in Japan and the US and in Japan and Europe

* In this age of global competition, companies choose the countries in which to set up business. In science and technology as well, ambitious researchers and companies will select and move into countries with research-friendly environments.

In these circumstances, Japan must carry out world class research operations. Researchers from Japan and many other countries will then gather here and cutting edge scientific and technological research activities will take place in Japan.

Globally Competitive Research Management

* The motivating factors for the greatest research results most often cited by researchers include "intellectual curiosity", "sense of accomplishment and growth", and "sense of challenge". The most frequent responses reflect a sense of self-motivation and personal values ( Figure 18 ). Research activities are essentially intellectual activities and it is necessary to develop a research environment conducive to researchers' fully demonstrating their creativity, aspirations, and capabilities.

Figure 18 Motivating factors for greatest research results

* With regard to the kind of research environment necessary to carrying out one's research, many researchers at national research institutions and universities indicated flexibility in funding and research planning and increasing the number of research assistants as important (50 percent to 70 percent). A high percentage of private corporations also said flexibility in research planning is essential ( Figure 19 ).

Figure 19 Researchers' expectations for research management

* At the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science, a world-class research institute, in addition to a flexible management organizational style, the director of the research center is allowed a wide discretionary authority. Moreover, at the Max Planck Society and at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, researcher mobility, fixed term, contract researchers and post doctorate researchers account for more than half of the total number of researchers ( Figure 20 ).

Figure 20 Composition of personnel at the Max Planck Society for the Promotion of Science and the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH)

* In Japan, efforts to implement flexible and competitive research management styles are currently underway. The Chemistry and Physics Research Center is an example of one such research center ( Figure 21 ).

Figure 21 Composition of personnel at the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN)

* From these results, it is clear that excellent institutions have the following characteristics in common: 1) they operate flexible research operations in their management organizations, 2) they allow capable research advisors wide discretionary authority, and, 3) they utilize post doctorate researchers and other mobile researchers, train young researchers and promote a dynamic atmosphere in a competitive and open research environment.

* For Japan to carry out world class research management, it is imperative to implement research management that is not in any way secondary to research management in other countries and that is competitive and flexible in addition to being people-oriented based on characteristics particular to Japan.