Part 1 Using Knowledge to Create Society and Economy for a New Era
Chapter 1 Creating and Utilizing Knowledge - the Driving Force Behind Social and Economic Development
Section 1 Innovations - Creating Knowledge
The activities referred to as "innovation" which create
new value by creating and utilizing knowledge, the artefact of the capabilities
of mankind, provide benefits not only to companies, but also to society and economy
as a whole. Various countries are therefore competing to formulate policies to
create effective innovations as a source of improving international competitiveness
and encouraging economic growth. The process innovations (innovations in the
manufacturing process) which Japan has taken full advantage of its strengths
in, must be upgraded in order to support Japan's key industries and to ensure
international competitiveness.
Currently in a structural recession, the Japanese economy is
being gained upon rapidly by other Asian countries in the field of process innovation.
In such a situation, there is a need to create products and services with high
added value (product innovation). It is important to use continual wide-scale
innovations be used to discover potential demand, and to move personnel and resources
to growth sectors with high social needs.
