3.3 Reform of Japan’s Science and Technology System

3.3.6 Developing a Foundation for Promoting Science and Technology

3.3.6.1 Strategic and Prioritized Improvement of Facilities and Equipment

（1） Improvement of Facilities and Equipment of Universities, etc.

 The facilities of national universities, etc., are centers of activity for creative and cutting edge academic research, and for the development of richly creative human resources, and constitute an essential foundation for Japan’s aims to become a creative science and technology nation.

 The Second Science and Technology Basic Plan positions the improvement of aged and increasingly cramped facilities at universities and colleges as the most important issue in the development of foundations for the promotion of science and technology. In response, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology in April 2001 drew up the “Five-Year Program for Emergent Renovation and Building of Facilities of National Universities, etc.” （Figure 3-3-21）, under which it is implementing the prioritized and systematic improvement of facilities at national universities, etc. and carrying out system reforms aimed at the efficient and flexible utilization of facilities.

 For research facilities, the ministry held discussions to “improve academic research facilities at national, public and private universities,” at the Working Group for Academic Research Facilities established under the Council for Science and Technology, and subsequently issued a report in June 2005.

 In light of the report, the government is promoting more effective support for the improvement of facilities at national universities, including facilities as research infrastructure that are planned from mid- to long- term viewpoint and facilities that are required to promote specialized research.

 In support of the development of research facilities and equipment at private universities, the ministry subsidizes expenditures necessary for large-scale education and research tools, educational equipment, on-campus LAN systems, and IT environments with computers and other equipment in order to promote the advancement of academic research and education.

Figure 3-3-21 Five-Year Program for the Emergent Renovation and Building of Facilities of National Universities, etc.

（2） Development of Facilities and Equipment at National Experimental Research Institutions

 As facilities and equipment which form the infrastructure for research activities are upgraded and expanded, the development of these facilities and equipment has not only become necessary for the promotion of efficient research, but also has had a major effect on the actual results of R＆D. The national government is working to maintain and enhance research and development facilities at national experimental research institutions, etc., and focusing on priority research topics.

 As for the upgrade of the facilities and equipment, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has been promoting a plan to upgrade the “X-ray Free Electron Laser （XFEL）,” as one of its measures. XFEL, which produces dream light combining the characteristics of synchrotron radiation and laser, is expected to serve as an R＆D infrastructure that enables the generation of many advanced research results in a wide range of science and technology fields. XFEL is now under construction and will be completed in Fiscal 2010. The United States and Europe are also developing XFELs, with planned completion dates of Fiscal 2009 and Fiscal 2012 respectively. Thus international competition is fierce （Figure 3-3-22）.

 The ministry is conducting R＆D on basic technologies related to supercomputing hardware aimed at developing and improving next-generation supercomputers by Fiscal 2010 （see section 3.2.3.5）.

Table 3-3-22 Large-scale synchrotron radiation facilities in the world

Note）
SLAC：
 Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
DESY：
 Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron
 （German-led joint project participated in by 11 countries in Europe）

3.3.6.2 Expansion in Number of Research Assistants

 Expansion of the research assistant system, which allows researchers to concentrate solely on research and development activities, is an essential element for the invigoration of research and development activity. The trend in the number of supporting staff per researcher since the adoption of the First Science and Technology Basic Plan is shown in Table 3-3-23.

Table 3-3-23 Trends in the number of supporting staff per researcher

Notes 1：
 Supporting staff includes assistant research workers, technicians, clerical and other supporting personnel.
 The values are as of April 1 up until 2001, and as of March 31 from 2002.

Notes 2：
 Incorporated administrative agencies include public corporations that the main purpose at the R＆D activities and national experimental research institutions. （However, until 2001, the numbers indicate only national experimental research institutions.）

Notes 3：
 The numbers for researchers at national universities and, until 2001, independent administrative agencies are for regular researchers.

Notes 4：
 Includes natural science departments only.

Notes 5：
 National universities refer to the departments of national universities （including graduate schools）, national juniorcolleges, national colleges of technology, laboratories affiliated to national universities （including research facilities）, and the Inter-University Research Institute Cooperation. These entities now intend to reinforce their system for research support at their own discretion.

Source：
 Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications "Report on the Survey of Research and Development"

3.3.6.3 Enhancement of the Intellectual Infrastructure

 In order to reliably and effectively promote research, development and other related activities, it is necessary to undertake efforts such as ensuring the stable provision in quality and quantity, as well as ensuring the safety and reliability, of materials, standards, techniques, equipment, and other elements, that support fundamental activities for research and development, including experimentation, measurement, analysis, and evaluation. For this reason, it is necessary to promote organized development of an intellectual infrastructure that includes bioresources and other research materials, various measurement standards, advanced tools for measurement, analysis, and experimentation and evaluation, and various data-bases. Also, the Second Science and Technology Basic Plan calls for improvements toward the attainment of the world’s highest standards by 2010. In response, the Council for Science and Technology, an advisory group to the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, obtained the cooperation of the relevant ministries and agencies to adopt the “Intellectual Infrastructure Development Program,” which lays out specific measures for the development of intellectual infrastructure by 2010. The proposed program was presented to the Minister in August 2001. The state of progress of the intellectual infrastructure development has been followed up annually since Fiscal 2002.

1）Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications

 In the area of measurement standards, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has established national standards for frequency, and is developing facilities for standard time transmission, as well as working to ensure that transmissions are provided in a stable and consistent manner. The Ministry is also conducting research to improve the accuracy of the standards for frequency and time.

2）Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

 In Fiscal 2002 the Ministry began the National Bioresource Project with the aim of developing systems to systematically collect, preserve, and provide bioresources deemed strategically important for the nation to maintain, including experimental plants and animals such as mice, various stem cell lines, and genetic resources, including the genetic material of various organisms.

 In addition, the Japan Science and Technology Agency’s Institute for Bioinformatics Research and Development （BIRD） upgrades, standardizes, and expands databases that are indispensable to the development of bioinformatics.

 Independent research and development on measurement, analysis, experimentation and evaluation, and on the state-of-the-art technologies and instruments for them, is not only the basis that upholds the research and development activities. Supported by the fact that the many researches and developments of these kinds themselves receive the Nobel Prize, it is an extremely important task for our country to serve as one of the world’s front-runners in the fields of science and technology. However, the degree of dependence to foreign countries for advanced measurement and analysis instruments in Japan is high. In particular, the area of life science relies on foreign companies for most of the instruments for pioneering research （Figure 3-3-24）. On the basis of this situation, the Ministry also conducted a study of the development of advanced measurement and analysis technology and equipment in Fiscal 2003, in order to promote the development of the world’s first “only one / number one” technology and equipment that can meet the needs of the world’s most advanced researchers. The Ministry then took measures to launch a project for the development of advanced measurement and analysis technology and equipment in Fiscal 2004.

Figure 3-3-24 Shares of major measurement and analysis instruments by Domestic and foreign companies （FY2004）

3）Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

 The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has established “master banks” at the National Institute of Biomedical Innovation （NIBIO）, in order to collect and store cultured cells and genes from humans and animals that are necessary for research in the life sciences, particularly in the fields of medicine and pharmacology. The ministry furnishes these cultured cells and genes to researchers and other experts through the Japan Health Sciences Foundation （JHSF）.

 Also, in line with the conclusions reached in “On the State of Research and Development Using Human Tissue Obtained During Operations, etc.,” a report on human tissue issued by the Health Science Council’s Advanced Medical Technology Evaluation Division on December 16, 1998, the Japan Health Sciences Foundation obtained the cooperation of medical institutions to collect human tissue for research use, doing so in careful consideration of bioethical issues, and commenced activities to dispense the tissue as necessary to researchers.

 Elsewhere, on the issue of plants having medicinal value, as it has become difficult to secure good quality ones, the NIBIO’s Research Center for Medical Plant Resources is engaged in research into technologies for the propagation （micro-propagation） of cloned plants having the same characteristics as the plants they are cloned from, and also systematically collects, preserves, and supplies medicinal plant resources. Moreover, at the Tsukuba Primate Center, the Ministry has bred kanikui-zaru monkeys, and furnished them for research use to researchers in Japan using joint facilities.

4）Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

 The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries implements the MAFF Genebank project, in which genetic resources from plants, animals, microorganisms, forest trees, aquatic organisms, etc., are collected, classified and identified, then subjected to characteristic evaluation, multiplication, and preservation. This program also provides national experimental research institutions, the private sector, universities, etc., with genetic resources and genetic resource information. In addition, the Ministry implements the DNA Bank project, which collects, accumulates, and distributes both DNA and DNA information resulting from genome research and other genetic-level research.

 The Ministry also established in April 2003 the Rice Genome Resource Center （RGRC） under the auspices of the National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences （NIAS）. By collectively managing genome research data and resources, RGRC provides improved convenience and a smooth system of delivering information to the private sector and universities. Through the management and analysis of the information contained in the collectively managed resources, RGRC also provides highly precise associated resources and data.

5）Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry

 At the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Special Committee on the Development of Intellectual Infrastructure, a joint body composed of the Industrial Structure Council Subdivision on Industrial Technology and the Japanese Industrial Standards Committee （JISC）, revises the objectives for the development of intellectual infrastructure annually.

 The National Metrology Institute of Japan （NMIJ）, which is part of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology （AIST）, is improving and expanding national measurement standards, and also making efforts toward international mutual recognition. In total, 232 physical standards and 225 reference materials had been provided by the end of Fiscal 2005. In addition, the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization （NEDO） conducted R＆D on remote calibration as part of a plan for the period from Fiscal 2001 to Fiscal 2005. Based on the research results achieved by Fiscal 2005, the ministry will conduct R＆D to provide the standards to meet the actual conditions faced by industries as part of its plans for the period from Fiscal 2006 to Fiscal 2008.

 With respect to information infrastructure for genetic information, DNA analysis is being performed for microorganisms at the genome analysis facility of the Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology and Evaluation （NITE）. The base sequence of the magnetic bacterium, the Gemmatimonas aurantiaca, and the Kocuria rhizophila, were identified in Fiscal 2005.

 In Fiscal 2005, the NITE Biological Resource Center （NBRC） added approximately 20,000 microbial strains and DNA clones to its collection─now totaling approximately 76,000 items which it maintains and provides to the public. The Biotechnology Development Center started joint research through industry-academia-government cooperation as an effort to add high value to genetic resource information from Fiscal 2003, and currently conducts four joint research projects for the putting of the research results to practical use by research partners. In Fiscal 2005, the ministry increased the number of patents deposited at the NITE Patent Microorganisms Depositary （NPMD）, which was established to strengthen the functions of biological resource centers in Fiscal 2004. The ministry also provided support for holding a meeting in Thailand, as a secretariat of the “Asian Consortium for the Preservation and Sustainable Use of Micro Organism Resources,” the world’s first framework for multinational cooperation at the government level in Asia for the purpose of cooperative management and use of microorganism resources. The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology implements protein analysis based on data obtained from the analysis of the DNA of microorganisms. It also preserves and distributes microorganisms and plant and animal cells related to patents.

 In terms of data infrastructure for chemical substance risk management, the Ministry collects and coordinates data of hazardous chemical substances. The Ministry also develops simplified testing methods to evaluate the safety of these substances, as well as screening test methods for endocrine disruptors. In addition, the Ministry carries out research and development regarding risk assessment methods of chemical substances.

 For the development of infrastructure for quality life and welfare, the Ministry supports the development of products designed in consideration of human characteristics, through the improvement of 3D data maintenance and the development of methods for evaluating the function and performance of welfare equipment.

 Moreover, the Ministry is involved in developing an improved materials database. Concerning geological information, the Ministry also promoted geological surveys that produced 11 new kinds of geological sheet maps in Fiscal 2005.

6）Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

 The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport deals with a variety of information related to the Geographic Information System （GIS）; it prepares GIS framework information such as digital maps, and develops distribution environments such as provision of data over the Internet, and the expansion of clearinghouses.

7）Ministry of the Environment

 The Ministry of the Environment is engaged in the indexing of environmental pollutants, and in the collection, preservation, and furnishing of micro-organisms with environmental cleaning properties, and of novel genetically modified or recombinant microorganisms.

 The status for the development of facilities to preserve and provide intellectual infrastructure by government ministries is shown in Table 3-3-25.

Table 3-3-25 The state of development of intellectual infrastructure

3.3.6.4 Enhancing the Intellectual Property Rights System, and Active Response to Standardization

 To promote creative activities for intellectual property, adequate protection of intellectual property rights （IPRs） is critical. The Patent Attorney Law has been thoroughly revised to provide more user-friendly technical services. With the revision, the JPO has simplified the patent attorney examination system and expanded the scope of patent attorneys’ services. From the perspective of encouraging the exploitation of intellectual property, the National Center for Industrial Property Information and Training has been dispatching patent licensing advisors to local government facilities and technology licensing organizations （TLOs）, developing patent licensing databases, and holding international patent licensing seminars/training programs with the aim of developing human resources with expertise in trading intellectual property. The JPO has been taking various approaches to establish a desirable market environment for patent licensing, which includes patent licensing fairs held nationwide in Japan. In addition, the JPO has been extending assistance to other IP Offices by dispatching IP experts, holding local seminars, implementing human resources development programs （e.g. accepting trainees）, and helping to enhance their computerization efforts in the patent paperwork and examination process areas.

 The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is carrying out research and development under the Program for the Development of International Standards, with the aim of developing international standards in sectors in which the development of international standards is important for strengthening the industrial competitiveness of Japan. As of Fiscal 2005, research and development was being implemented on 29 themes under the program. Furthermore, the International Joint Research Grant Program in the area of International Standards is being used to put into service international collaborative teams that implement research with other countries for the development of international standards. In Fiscal 2005, the program was used to put two teams into operation.

 From the perspective of promoting the development of new technologies, research and development on the fundamental technology for safety evaluation of nanoparticles, with domestic and international standardization in mind, has been started from Fiscal 2005.

 In order to achieve international standards in the information and communications field originating from Japan, and to promote the strengthening of Japan’s international competitiveness, “research and development targeting international technological standardization” （SCOPE-I） is being implemented based on research results solicited on the condition that proposed research should contribute to standardization activities, such as submitting proposals to standardization organizations like the International Telecommunication Union （ITU）. In Fiscal 2005, two research projects were newly adopted under this program. In addition, due to the recognition that it is important to promote R＆D and standardization together as a unit, ubiquitous network technology, etc. is being promoted in consideration of contributions to future international standards. Furthermore, the ITU is active in standardization activities for the NGN （next generation network） that is a basic technology indispensable for the realization of a ubiquitous Internet society. The ITU is also expected to conduct full-scale standardization activities for home networks and electronic tags. Japan has made proactive proposals on the standardization system for these technologies. Moreover, coordination of standardization activities in Asian countries is being strengthened, and joint proposals for standardization to the ITU are being promoted through the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity Standardization Program （ASTAP）.

 Amidst Japan’s efforts to expand investment in R＆D toward realization of the goal to become a nation of creative science and technology, it is important that expansion of investment in R＆D be linked to the creation and assurance of results, and to stronger international competitiveness. Therefore, the Expert Panel on Management of Intellectual Properties was established under the Council for Science and Technology Policy, which summarized “Opinions on Intellectual Property Strategy” in May 2004, as a result of survey and inspection on the creation and utilization of outstanding intellectual properties in universities

 The Japanese government has also been promoting its intellectual property strategy nationwide in various fields, including science and technology. In June 2005, the “Intellectual Property Strategic Program 2005” was decided in the Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters （Director-General: Prime Minister）. The important policy issues for this Program are being studied in two different task forces, and the results were announced in the form of the “Measures to Promote Priority Tasks Relating to the Intellectual Creation Cycle” （February 2006, Task Force on Intellectual Creation Cycle） and the “Strategy for the Development of Digital Content” （February 2006, Task Force on Contents）, etc.

3.3.6.5 Developing a Research Information Infrastructure

 Amidst the rapid development of advanced computerization, R＆D sites are taking the lead by developing a research information infrastructure. In response to the rapid progress in telecommunications, it is critical for Japan to heighten and streamline its R＆D in the future by continuously promoting the development of the research information infrastructure, and by collecting and disseminating R＆D information through even greater utilization of these infrastructures.

 The national government is taking concrete action through efforts such as the development and upgrading of networks between research institutions, and the development and provision of databases.

 An overview of the main measures for the research information infrastructure in Fiscal 2005 is shown in Table 3-3-26.

Table 3-3-26 Main measures for the research information infrastructure （FY2005）

（1） Improvement of Networks

 Computers and information networks are key systems in our modern society. These were first developed for research and development, and afterwards found a variety of different applications. In order to carry out cutting edge research and development, performance enhancements are necessary for networks.

 The National Institute of Informatics （NII）, an organization under the control of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, has established and operates the Science Information Network （SINET）, which connects organizations such as universities. As of January 2006, a total of 710 organizations were connected to SINET. In addition, “Super SINET,” the world’s fastest research network, which connects advanced scientific research institutions at a maximum speed of 10Gbps （gigabits per second）, is now up and running.

 The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has established and operates the MAFFIN （Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Network）, which mutually connects research institutions related to agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. As of March 2006, a total of 97 institutions were connected through MAFFIN. With SINET now linked to the United States, Singapore and Hong Kong, and MAFFIN linked to the Philippines, these networks are now becoming backbones for the distribution of research information among various countries.

 By establishing the Advanced Network Testbed for R＆D （JGN （Notes 30））, operated by the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications promotes the pacesetting approaches that create an extensive ripple effect such as improvements in technological capabilities in Japan, reinforcement of coordination between industry, academia and government, and creation of new businesses and industries, through R＆D and testing. Furthermore, in order to promote collaboration with research institutes in Japan and abroad, the operation of the Japan-Thailand and Japan-Singapore lines started from November 2005.

Notes 30：
 JGN  is a successive project for Japan Gigabit Network （JGN, Fiscal 1999-Fiscal 2003）, which was used by 650 institutions and more than 2,000 researchers in total, and achieved a great success in areas such as improving the broadband infrastructure, revitalizing local economy and fostering human resources in our country.

（2） Creation and provision of databases

 Perusal, copying, lending, and other clearing services for primary information （source materials for research papers, etc.） are being implemented at libraries and a variety of other information service organizations. In addition, constructing databases of secondary information by using computers enables the swift, accurate and easy search of increasingly large amounts of information.

 In order to create a database of primary information, the National Diet Library （NDL） is preparing a database for collected materials that covers every publication issued in Japan and in the archives of the library. The National Institute of Informatics （NII）, an organization under the control of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, creates and provides databases on titles and locations of academic books and magazines available at university libraries and other institutions, with the cooperation of institutions nationwide such as national, public, and private universities. Furthermore, the NII creates databases for academic research, and provides a database service.

 The Japan Science and Technology Agency （JST） collects information related to the science and technology sectors, and is constructing a science and technology document database. This database is being made available through the JST Online Information System （JOIS） and JST Document Retrieval system for Academic and Medical fields （JDream）, which allows for access over the Internet.

 The JST has also created and been operating a joint system （J-STAGE） that allows for the on-line writing, editing, and publication of research paper periodicals and so forth issued by academic societies, etc. Furthermore, the JST is implementing the upgrades, standardization, and R＆D on databases that are essential to promote bioinformatics.

 The National Center for Industrial Property Information and Training developed the Industrial Property Digital Library （IPDL） and provides the IPDL services on the Internet. The IPDL allows users to easily search, based on reference numbers and classifications, about 54 million patent information listed in JPO’s patent gazettes, etc. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries creates and offers information on documents related to the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries fields, as well as information on locations of books and materials, such as providing the Japanese Agricultural Sciences Index （JASI） of articles published in academic journals related to the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries fields online.

3.3.6.6 Developing an Infrastructure for Manufacturing

 In recent years, the structure of employment has been changing, and business competition and other economic situations have been diversifying and changing structurally due to the advancement of industrialization abroad. These changes have in turn led to a decrease in the percentage of domestic gross production taken up by manufacturing industries. This situation, combined with the difficulty of strengthening manufacturing industrial competitiveness and of ensuring that fundamental technologies for manufacturing are passed on to the future, are causes for increasing concern in Japan.

 In order for Japan to respond to this situation, and to ensure healthy growth in the future through the advancement of manufacturing industries that represent key industries for the national economy of Japan, it is critical to nurture a social sentiment that holds a high regard for capabilities related to fundamental technologies for manufacturing, and to actively promote fundamental technologies for manufacturing.

 For this reason, the national government adopted the Basic Plan for Fundamental Skilled Manufacturing Technologies in September 2000, in accordance with the Fundamental Skilled Manufacturing Technologies Law enacted in March 1999. Based on this plan, the national government is comprehensively and strategically promoting measures related to the promotion of fundamental technologies for manufacturing.

（1）Fostering and Securing Personnel Engaged in Manufacturing

 In order to promote fundamental technologies for manufacturing, it is inevitable to foster human resources, having rich creativity, to support it. Various measures are taken in school education and lifelong learning.

 At the primary and secondary education levels, the Program to Promote and Assist Manufacturing Learning has been implemented since Fiscal 2000, which includes initiatives such as the creation of a database of “Manufacturing Study Instructors” who aim to promote study related to manufacturing, and the implementation of workshops for these Manufacturing Study Instructors, as well as to implement a study on manufacturing in related subjects based on the curriculum guideline from the elementary school. In particular, specialized upper secondary schools such as industrial high schools, have been serving important roles in fostering specialists that will bear the future of manufacturing industries in our country. In order to further reinforce such efforts the “Aspire to be a Specialist!” program has been implemented since Fiscal 2003, which concentrates on conducting education that introduces advanced technologies and skills in specialized upper secondary schools.

 Activities such as experiencing actual workplace in lower secondary schools and internship in upper secondary schools evokes a willingness to learn among students, and will foster visions for labor and vocation. It is also a valuable opportunity for the students to learn knowledge and skills actually used in the workplace, including offices for manufacturing. These activities are therefore actively promoted by various facilities.

 In the fields of higher education, due to the corporatization of national universities and national colleges of technology, the discretion of universities and colleges was expanded, promoting further improvement in uniqueness, vitalization and sophistication of educational content.

 It is intended to prepare science and technological departments based on the autonomous and self-directive decisions of each university. Also, a system of professional schools was established in Fiscal 2003, for the purpose of improving the quality and quantity of efforts to foster high-level professionals.

 Colleges of technology aim to become an attractive option, by conveying their appeal to manufacturing through approaches such as the “All-Japan Colleges of Technology Robot Contest.” They also hold public lectures and experience classes targeted at people in the local community and elementary and junior high school students.

 In special training colleges, the fostering of human resources for manufacturing is promoted through practical vocational education and specialized skill education. The special training colleges are also engaged in the “Program to Support Independence and Challenges by Young People Using Special Training Colleges,” which develops short-term education programs utilizing special training colleges, in order to improve the capabilities of those who aim to become a permanent employee but cannot, such as part-time workers.

 In the area of lifelong learning, opportunities for career improvement are being amplified through the acceptance of working people at universities and other schools or public lectures. It is also intended to foster human resources for manufacturing by providing children opportunities to experience and learn manufacturing in each region, through approaches such as utilizing citizens’ public halls and museums or opening classes in educational institutes to the public.

 The situation of employment for young people is still severe, with the number of part-time workers and unemployed increasing. To cope with this situation, efforts to solve the problems of young people are continuously made from an educational perspective, based on the “Plan to develop the capability and promote employment of the younger generation,” which was summarized in June 2003 by the four ministries involved. These efforts include approaches in the area of fostering human resources throughout the entire educational activities at schools, such as the promotion of organizational and systematic career education from elementary schools, and implementation of reeducation for part-time workers.

（2）Merging Information Technology （IT） and Manufacturing Technology （MT） to reform production systems

 In order to allow Japan’s manufacturing industries, which represent the foundation of the national economy, to maintain and strengthen their competitiveness by means of information technologies, it was decided to establish techniques to scientifically analyze and digitize the skills, know-how, experience and other aspects of skilled individuals, as well as to develop an information system that includes software and databases to utilize the resulting digital data.

 The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has been utilizing RIKEN to implement research and development for the creation of an Integrated Volume-CAD system using advanced IT. This system will contribute to the upgrading and improved efficiency of new technology at manufacturing sites, and aims to lead a revolution in the information technology of Japan, in the context of serving as a common foundation for a broad range of technology systems. The system is being developed based on the new concept of “volume data”. It completely integrates various simulation technologies, product measurement and testing technology （CAT: Computer-Aided Testing）, and machining technology （CAM: Computer-Aided Manufacturing）.

 The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is implementing the “Digital Master Project” to develop methods for taking the skills, know-how, and experience of skilled technicians at design and manufacturing sites─which exists as “implicit knowledge”─and turning it into “formatted knowledge” through scientific analysis, using IT to then create software and databases of this knowledge.

 Furthermore, to promote the integration of manufacturing and IT at small and medium-scale enterprises, 3D CAD/CAM facilities introduced to prefectural public experimental research institutions were used in Fiscal 2000 for training people at small and medium-size enterprises in the use of CAD/CAM, continuing from the previous year.

（3）Accruing Information Related to Manufacturing

 The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has taken three measures to accrue manufacturing-related information. These measures included establishing links through the cooperation of universities, the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology （AIST）, and other organizations, with public experimental research institutions at the regional level playing the central role, as well as building up a database that assembles technology information on successful cases of manufacturing and cases of technology consultations for public experimental research institutions. This database, known as the Techno-Knowledge Network, was made available over the Internet in order to provide precise and efficient technology support for small and medium-sized enterprises.

 In addition, to support the design of innovative products from the vantage point of the elderly, development of a system that automatically calculates the dimensions of the human body from three-dimensional measurements of the shape of the body has begun, and the speeding up, simplification, and cost-reduction of dimensional measurement is being promoted.

 The Failure Knowledge Database of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology is used to prevent accidents and failures from occurring at manufacturing sites. The Database contains the analysis of accidents and failures that occur in production processes relating to machines, construction and chemicals, as well as lessons gained from the accidents and failures. The database was made available to the public on March 27, 2004, and stored 1,135 cases of accidents and failures as of February 2006 （http://shippai.jst.go.jp）.

3.3.6.7 Promoting Activities of Academic Societies

 Academic societies and associations are voluntary organizations made up of researchers of organization such as universities. They play an important role in terms of research evaluation, and also information and personal exchange, beyond the framework of individual research organizations. Major contributions are made to the advancement of academic research through activities of academic societies, such as the dissemination of the latest exceptional research results via academic research meetings, lectures, and symposia, and through the publication of academic journals.  To promote these types of activities by academic societies, Grant-in-Aid for Publication of Scientific Research Results, which is one of the categories of Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research, are awarded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to support activities such as international conferences held in Japan with the participation of overseas researchers; symposia that provide youths and adults with up-to-date information on research trends, and the publication of academic journals.