Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > WHITE PAPER ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY2003 > Part3 3.3 3.3.3 3.3.3.3

  Policies aimed at the promotion of industry in order to invigorate regional areas have hitherto tended to concentrate on enticing corporations to locate to that area,and on the incidental development of roads,harbors,and other hard infra-structure in the surrounding environment.In recent years,however,this approach has been supplemented by measures supporting the development of research equipment,research facilities and other items in the target regions,and the provision of subsidies and other measures for research and development.The following laws and measures represent an integrated approach to supporting the concentration of research and de-velopment functions.

  A"technopolis"results from efforts to promote the development of an urban area that integrates industry,academia,and habitation facilities built around a core of cutting edge technology,and re-presents the concentration of advanced technology-based manufacturing industries within a region.It represents an effort to promote development programs,etc.,for research and development facilities and other industrial infrastructures.At the present time,programs in26regions have been approved in accordance with the Technopolis Law.

  Although the Technopolis Law was abolished with the enactment of the Law for Promotion of New Enterprises,the Technopolis Plans continue to be valid for a certain time period as a special transition treatment.

  In accordance with the increasing shift to soft-ware and service-oriented economic activities,the Key Facilities Siting Law promotes the traditional regional distribution of plants and combines this with efforts to concentrate service industries that support industry,such as natural science research institutes,the software industry,and the information processing service industry.These measures are aimed at promoting development programs and so forth for various industry infrastructures,in order to promote the upgrading of regional industry.

  At the present time,programs in26regions have been approved in accordance with the Key Facilities Siting Law.

  Although the Key Facilities Siting Law was abolished with the enactment of the Law for Promotion of New Enterprises,the Key Facilities Siting Plans continue to be valid for a certain time period as a special transition measure.

  The Law for Promotion of New Enterprises is designed to help utilize Japan's accumulated industrial resources for the creation of new business enterprises.Section4of the Law for Promotion of New Enterprises stipulates measures for utilizing regional industrial resources in order to develop a business environment that encourages creation of new enterprises in local areas.Specifically,the Law promotes the development of programs(regional platforms)for comprehensive provision of the technological,personnel,and financial support required at every stage in the creation of new enterprises in local areas,from research and development to investment in business enterprises,and promotes the development of business incubators and leased plant sites in High-Tech Industry Integration Regions and Advanced Research Function Integration Districts.

  To date,33High-Tech Industry Integration Regions and24Advanced Research Function Integration Districts have been designated based on the above law.

  The development and establishment of regional promotion bases in accordance with the Multipolar Act is designed to develop and establish far-reaching regional bases for promotion in a comprehensive and strategic manner,by concentrating industrial,cultural,scientific,research,exchange,and other functions characteristic of a region,in order to actively support regional development through regional initiative.

  The Private Sector Resources Utilization Law was designed to promote utilization of the capabilities of private sector corporations,in order to develop facilities that enhance the economic and social infrastructure.Of the facilities covered in this law,those related to research and development are R&D and commercialization infrastructure facilities(research cores);industry and academia coordination facilities(research on campus);telecommunications research and development promotion facilities(Telecom Research Parks);agriculture,forestry,and fisheries R&D and commercialization infrastructure facilities;and coastal region revitalization facilities.

  The industrial concentration of manufacturing industries making parts,molds,prototypes and other products(industrial concentration of infrastructural technologies)has long supported the key industries of Japan,while the concentration of small and medium-scale firms(specified small and medium-scale enterprise concentration)have served as the basis for the growth of regional economies for producing regions,one-company towns,etc.However,in view of increasingly severe hollowing out of these concentrations,the Regional Industrial Concentrations Reinvigoration Law aims to invigorate industrial concentrations of infrastructural technologies and specified small and medium-scale enterprise concentrations for the self-supported growth of regional industry.These aims are to be achieved by establishing R&D and experimental facilities,research equipment,etc.,for reinvigoration of industrial concentrations through advancing technologies and opening up new business fields.Also the development of new products implemented by corporations,etc.,is promoted,along with the encouragement of new markets and the development of human resources.