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  To encourage the practical use of research and development results obtained at universities,national and public research institutes,etc.,the Japan Science and Technology Corporation(JST)offers a series of comprehensive programs covering the identification of exceptional research results,sup-port for patent applications,and support for the commercial development of research results that are difficult to commercialize.

  Specifically,the following efforts are being implemented under the"Research Results Optimization and Transfer Project:"

  For research results obtained at universities and national research institutes which are expected to lead to the creation of new industries or development for commercialization,JST provides a Patenting Support Service as a way of supporting patenting efforts and the transfer of technology.This program includes dispatching patent inspectors to offer advice on the patenting of research results,or applying for patents on behalf of researchers.For those research results obtained at universities or national research institutions for which applications have been filed for basic patents and which are expected to develop into practical technologies,a test has been implemented to pursue the rights to intellectual property for applied patents relating to the basic patents.

  Original research results are being nurtured through a program that focuses on new technology concepts that have the potential to give rise to new businesses,and which are based on research results from universities and national research institutes.These new technology concepts are prototyped and put into concrete or model form through the vitality of venture corporations and other R&D-oriented medium-and small-scale enterprises,and under the technical guidance and evaluation of research institutes.

  In addition,another program invites joint proposals to start new businesses based on research results from universities and national research institutes,in collaboration between researchers and entrepreneurs with ideas for starting businesses.Promising proposals are selected and research teams are formed to carry out commercialization research that is aimed at starting new businesses,in order to promote the creation of venture corporations stemming from universities and national research institutes.

  Furthermore,for new technologies that can be independently developed by corporations with a relatively small degree of risk associated with development,JST promotes helping to develop and license technologies.Moreover,for exceptional research results that have been surveyed,collected,and patented by JST,and which are difficult to commercialize,JST offers the Contract Development Project that entrusts the development to corporations,etc.,as a way of actively supporting the commercialization of new technologies.By the end of FY2002,the Contract Development Project successfully developed376research topics.

  Moreover,the Pre-Venture Project(New Techno-Venture Oriented Research and Development)program is being implemented,in accordance with the view that promoting venture businesses based on original technology stemming from the research results of universities,etc.,can contribute greatly to the revitalization of the economy.This program invites joint proposals to start new businesses based on research results from universities,national research institutes,etc.,in collaboration between researchers and entrepreneurs with ideas for starting businesses.Promising proposals are selected and research teams are formed to carry out commercialization research that is aimed at starting new businesses,in order to promote the creation of venture corporations stemming from universities,national research institutes,etc.

  For those research results obtained at universities or national research institutions for which applications have been filed for basic patents and which are expected to develop into practical technologies,an authorization test project has been implemented in which efforts are being made to pursue the rights to intellectual property for applied patents relating to the basic patents,and which is likely to result in the development of enterprises for the above consigned developments.

  In addition,the Ministry of Education,Culture,Sports,Science and Technology started a program in FY2002 targeting projects for university re-search-the results of which can be expected to lead to entrepreneurial activities in the future-to support the R&D expenses of university researchers and the management expenses for preparing a business plan toward establishment of a business.In FY2002,MEXT also began a support program for collaboration among industry,academia,and government in which coordinators are placed in universities where they serve as a bridge between universities and enterprises that are conducting joint research at the universities.Furthermore,the preparation of facilities at national universities in support of practical research conducted by individuals who plan to use university research results and personnel resources to start up a venture business,has been proceeding since FY2001;the first supplemental budget for FY2002 included funding for facilities at10more universities.

  The Ministry of Agriculture,Forestry and Fisheries is implementing a Technology Results Transfer Promotion Program for the utilization and practical application of acquired patents by the private sector,through appointing coordinators to serve as a bridge between research institutes and private-sector firms.

  At RIKEN,researchers were permitted to have side jobs,and a program for preferential measures in joint research was established in January1998,with the aim of more effectively linking re-searchers'research results to practical application.

  The patenting of research results requires an understanding of patents on the part of researchers.To foster a better understanding of patents on the part of faculty at national and private universities,the Ministry of Education,Culture,Sports,Science and Technology has sponsored seminars on intellectual property rights since FY1999,with seminars being implemented at five universities in FY2002.Appropriate events such as university-sponsored seminars and patent conferences are also held.

  To achieve the efficient transfer of research results from universities,etc.,to industry,the Law for Promoting University-Industry Technology Transfer was enacted in August1998.Support measures are provided for technology licensing organizations(TLOs)that are approved under this law,including subsidies from the Industrial Infrastructure Development Fund and patent fee reducetions based on the Industrial Revitalization Law.As of the end of February2003,a total of31TLOs were approved under the Law for Promoting University-Industry Technology Transfer.According to surveys conducted by the Japan TLO Association,these TLOs had filed more than2,900patent applications as of December2002 (Table3-3-15) .

  In order to provide the appropriate protection of research results at national and public research institutes and universities,and to support the smooth transfer of research results to industry,the Patent Agency conducts seminars on industrial property rights for researchers and patent managers at research institutes and universities.These seminars were implemented125times throughout FY2002 at no cost to participants.The Patent Agency also hosts patent promotion fairs to provide opportunities for interaction with industries interested in adopting technologies.These fairs were imple mented in67cities nationwide in the period between FY1997 and FY2002.In addition,the National Center for Industrial Property Information dispatches,as of February2003,patent promotion advisors to the25of31approved TLOs that are currently in operation,and also dispatches intellectual property management advisors to five universities to support the development of intellectual property management departments.In addition,the Patent Agency sponsors international patent pro-motion seminars for a broad range of researchers and students from universities,and public research institutes and which bring together large groups of individuals employed in the transfer of technology both in Japan and abroad.The Patent Agency also implements basic and practical training on patent promotion and technology transfer necessary to promote the transfer of research results and so forth to industry.

Table3-3-15Approved TLOs(Total of31institutions)

  Furthermore,the Law to Strengthen Industrial Technical Ability was enacted in April2000pro-vided further policies to support the transfer of technology,such as measures to reduce patent fees,etc.,for university researchers and university corporations.

  To promote the utilization of research results obtained at national research institutes and national universities,etc.,conditions have been set to allow optional contracts for transfer of government-held patents or for setting exclusive licenses.The relevant institutions were notified of these conditions in December2000and again in February2001,and the result should be greater return of the fruits of research to society.