Part 1: New Developments in Science and Technology Policy: Responding to National and Societal Needs
Chapter 3: Future Science and Technology Policy in Japan
Section 1: Setting Plain Goals
In response to the Science and Technology Basic Law, the Science
and Technology Basic Plan sets the basic direction of R&D promotion as the
active promotion of basic research and the vigorous promotion of R&D that
responds to societal and economic needs, such as the following.
- R&D for science and technology that contributes to the
expansion of economic frontiers, the actualization of an advanced socioeconomic
infrastructure, and the creation of original, innovative technology that helps
create new industries or achieve new breakthroughs in information and telecommunications,
for instance
- R&D that helps solve global problems, such as those relating to the environment,
foodstuffs, energy, and resources.
- R&D for science and technology that responds to public needs and helps
actualize a society where all can enjoy peace of mind and spiritual affluence
by maintaining and improving health, preventing and curing disease, preventing
disasters, and solving various other problems.
However, scientific and technological goals that warrant national
priority are not always made clear. In followup to the Basic Plan, one issue
- in addition to the promotion of basic research - cited as requiring future
attention was the need to define understandable scientific and technological
goals for national issues and to make strategic and prioritized efforts to achieve
those goals.
The main points of this section are:
- Using plain goals to indicate what is achievable with science
and technology
- Defining important R&D areas where those goals are to be achieved
- Prioritizing the investment of R&D resources in those important R&D
areas