Joint Industry-Academia-Government Projects

* Private enterprises lead R&D using market dynamism
* Universities actively supply human talent and research results to the market
* The government supports R&D and promotes cross-ministry efforts to realize a better business environment, which assist the emergence of new markets
--Each project should be achieved through the fusion of different technologies.

[ Response to the Information Society ]
--Creation of a knowledge-intensive society--

• "Dream Network" project and development of its institutional foundations that improve standard of living and corporate management

  • user-friendly technology, advanced network security technology
  • introduction of a flat-rate telecommunication charges for use of internet

• A world-class "Super Digital Government" by 2003

  • efficient and high-quality administrative services

• The Information Literacy Charter(a basic strategy for information-related progress in education) to be established by March 2000

  • to develop human resources that can play a leading role in an advanced information society

[ Response to the Aging Society ]
--an active society and long-lived citizens--

• Maintaining and promoting health

  • Elucidation of disease mechanisms; development of sophisticated medical equipment
  • Securing safe and stable food supplies

• Independence and active social participation of the elderly

  • Development of equipment assisting rehabilitation
  • Construction of information networks for the elderly

• Creation of the elderly-friendly living spaces

  • Creation of barrier-free living spaces; promotion of care for the elderly in their own homes

[ Response to the Eco-conscious Society ]
--the economy and the ecology are in balance--

• Shift from a throwaway society to a recycling society

  • Development of waste reduction and recycling technology; promotion of the development of waste disposal facilities
  • Encouragement of voluntary control of chemical substances

• Promotion of longer-term anti-CO2 measures to combat global warming

  • Promotion of the measures based on the targets agreed at COP3
  • Development of technology such as "carbon-minimum" technology such as fuel cells, carbon-free technology such as nuclear energy, hydrogen energy, carbon-stocking technology such as CO2 absorption and fixation)

Information & telecommunications technology :

User-friendly technology, advanced network security technology, next-generation information and telecommunications technology, future-oriented fiberoptic network technology, highly energy-saving technology, information-mining technology, intelligent transport systems, electronic toll collection systems.

Biotechnology : Integrated promotion of technology development and commercialization

1. Formation of national strategies
2. Stronger collaboration among industries, academia, and the government(acceleration of genome analysis for human beings, flora and fauna, and microorganisms; improvement of systems for gathering, storing and supplying biological resources; promotion and support for the commercialization of "bioinformatics"(promotion of information development in biotechnology)
3. Promotion of bioscience research in universities and other institutions

New materials and new manufacturing technologies :

Creation of new substances and materials, development of new functional materials, maximum utilization of existing materials

• Strengthening science and technology policies
• Active development of intellectual property policies
• Improvement of organizations and human resources to strengthen R&D activities
• Active promotion of international standardization activities
• Improvement of the "intellectual foundation"(e.g. science and technology data base)