Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > WHITE PAPER ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY2003 > Part3 3.2 3.2.2 3.2.2.6

  Manufacturing technology is the source of Japan's economic power and can even be called its lifeline,standing at the highest levels in the world.These technologies will continuously need to be advanced further,and development of innovative technologies will be important.

  Based on this recognition,the Science and Technology Basic Plan positioned manufacturing technology as one of the eight areas meriting special priority,and the Promotion Strategies by Sector were adopted in September2001.Priority areas and items set in the Strategies included"use manufacturing technology innovations to strengthen competitiveness,""pioneer new areas of manufacturing technology,"and"determine technologies for minimizing environmental burdens,"as well as measures for promoting the attainment of research and development goals,including"develop human resources,and improve environments that encourage creativity,""ac-cumulate knowledge fundamentals,technology,and know-how,""handle incentives for acquisition of intellectual property,""collaborate and allocate responsibilities among industry,academia,and government from the initial stages of research,""promote development and standardization of intellectual infrastructure,""support venture businesses and marketing of new products,"and"specify tasks for management,business models,and science and technology policy."

  To actively promote the fundamental technologies for manufacturing that support the growth of the manufacturing industry,the Manufacturing Fundamental Technology Promotion Basic Plan was adopted in September2000,based on the Basic Law to Promote Fundamental Technologies for Manufacturing(1999Law No.2),and comprehensive and planned implementation of measures for promoting such technologies is now in progress(see Section3.3.6.6.Developing an Infrastructure for Manufacturing).

  By the Science and Technology Basic Plan,Japan is actively promoting research and development into extreme-situation technologies with high added-value,technologies for reducing the burdens on the environment,technologies for assuring safety in the manufacturing workplace,and technologies for making things that are built based on IT and the principles of biology.

  Specifically,the Ministry of Education,Culture,Sports,Science and Technology is engaged in the development of next-generation fundamental technologies,such as,for example,the Japan Science and Technology Corporation's R&D for the"Otsu Localized Photon Project,"which aims for establishment of technologies for optical beam processing and creation of functional materials,and an"ultra-precise semiconductor measurement technology,"which aims for establishment of fundamental technologies for a next-generation semi-conductor manufacturing process.

  In addition,RIKEN is promoting the development of"Building an Integrated Technology In-formation System Using Advanced IT"based on technologies for utilizing the new concept of"volume data" 47) ,for the purpose of integrating simulation technologies and other kinds of information technologies.More recently,in FY2002,RIKEN has commenced development of an advanced measurement technology that utilizes a multi-dimensional quantum detector.

  The Ministry of Economy,Trade and Industry is promoting various projects,including the"Digital Meister Project,"which uses information technology to convert manufacturing workplace skills and know-how into software and databases,the"IMS 48) International Joint Research Project,"to unite international joint research for the development of new production systems,the"Basic Software Development for Fundamental Robot Development,"to promote the development of next-generation robots,and the"System Technology Project for Creation of a Human Behavior-Oriented Living Environment,"which supports measurement and cumulative understanding of human behavior,and applies the data to products made for the human behavior characteristics of specific individuals,all for the purpose of supporting and strengthening the international competitiveness of Japan's manufacturing industry toward the revitalization of Japan's economy.

  The Ministry of Agriculture,Forestry,and Fisheries is engaged in the development of tech-nologies for improvement of food functionality to meet consumer demands for high-quality foods.It also conducts development of technologies that detect and control microscopic life forms in manufacturing processes,and that control microquantity substances contained in food,in response to consumer demands for food safety and security,etc.The ministry is also engaged in the development of energy-saving food processing technologies suitable for creating a recycling-style economy and society that is in harmony with the environment,and in the development of new isolation and extraction technologies that can form the foundation for the development of a sustainable food industry.