Japan is a key player in the global nanotechnology arena with the government providing over US$1billion in funding per annum and setting up a vast network of research and innovation centres nationwide.
Along with the United States, Japan has historically been the largest public and private funder of nanotechnology worldwide. Japan has the second most nanotechnology-related patent publications globally, just behind the US; it is also second behind the US in terms of the most nanotechnology-related inventions that have patent publications in three or more countries.
Europe outspends Japan and China and Russia are biting at their heels but the Japanese government still allocates significant funds to nanotechnology. Combined public and private funding is around 190 billion yen per annum.
Science and Technology funding is allocated through 5 year basic plans. The last basic plan, the 3rd (FY2006-2010) made nanotechnology a priority area along with Life Sciences, ICT and Environment. The overall plan had a total budget of 25 trillion yen with nanotechnology accounting for around 80 billion yen (US$1.15billion) per annum (76 billion yen in FY2010), as well as cross-cutting into the other priority areas. This total investment is down on the previous years and is also below that of Europe and the United States. According to MEXT, Japan’s scientific strength in nanotech is vastly superior to that of Europe and the United States in many areas. Japan has pole position in its view in nanomaterials, electronics and nano-bio devices. Main achievements in the 3rd basic plan were the discovery of a new iron-based superconductor; development of new materials progressing industrial applications, such as carbon fiber composite materials for aircrafts and vehicles; progress in molecular imaging researches for early diagnosis of cancer; and the construction of an X-ray free electron laser (XFEL) facility for public use.
The Japanese government plans to drive growth based on Japan’s strengths in green and life innovation, marking a shift from field to issue-driven research. In green technologies, the strategy is to create over 50 trillion yen in new markets and 1.4 million new jobs. In the life area they are seeking to create 45 trillion yen in new markets and 2.8 million new jobs, by 2020. Nanotechnology is seen as a key underpinning technology for meeting these goals, although it is not specifically mentioned as an independent field in the plan, and Japan stands to benefit from years of significant investment in the field.
The 4th Science and Technology Basic Plan (FY2011-2015) seeks to place science and technology at the centre of a new national growth strategy as Japan faces up to a number of challenges post-Tsunami, including economic decline, the rise of Asia as a global center of growth allied to the relatively deteriorating presence of Japan, an aging population and the global challenges of climate change. The plan began in April 2011. The total national budget of science and technology in Japan has been cut and will be lower than that of the United States and Europe. However, the investment per capita will still be higher. Despite the total budget decrease, investment on developing advanced technology will increase.
The main agencies and ministries involved in formulating and executing the basic plans are the Council for Science and Technology Policy (CSTP), Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), and The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). The CSTP, under the administration of the Cabinet Office, is in charge of the steering of the S&T policies.
MEXT is one of the most important actors and is responsible for planning and formulating the S&T policies, the research plans and the promotion of science policies. It spends around 65% of total government expenditure on R&D. It is responsible for the structure of the education, research and development systems of Japan through the provision of institutional funds and research programs. METI is in charge of the administration of various policies covering a broad area of economy, trade and industry and spends 14% of government expenditure on R&D. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and the Ministry of the Environment are the other main agencies involved in the plan but assume lesser roles.
Japan’s universities and public research institutes play a prominent role in nanotech research. The main nanotechnology research institutions in Japan are part of a National Nanotechnology Network (https://nanonet.nims.go.jp) which allows for the open sharing of equipment between the national laboratories, universities and the private sector. The member institutes have established 13 centres of excellence nationwide. This project is funded by MEXT.
Three institutions located in Tsukuba, the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, the National Institute for Materials Science, and the University of Tsukuba, have created a world-class nanotechnology research and development centre in Tsukuba City in cooperation with industry, and have established an organization for promoting this project.
The Tsukuba Innovation Arena is a business orientated initiative. Core research domains are nanoelectronics, power electronic, N-MEMS, carbon nanotubes and green nanotech. Core infrastructures supporting these innovations are nanotech open user facilities, a nanodevice research foundry and a networking school of nanotechnology. The main funding ministry for this initiative is METI.
As well as governmental investment, the private sector also significantly funds nanotech. In 2009, Japan’s businesses like Showa Denko and Mitsui spent 37% more on R&D than their United States counterparts. Both these companies are heavily involved in nanotechnology along with other multi-national indigenous companies such as Fuji, NEC, Fujitsu, Sony, Seiko Instruments, Harima Chemicals, Ise Electronics, Ulvac and a number of life sciences companies.
The largest nanotechnology markets for Japan are nanoelectronics, nanomaterials and life sciences, fields in which they feel they are ahead of the United States. In nanoelectronics, the application of graphene and carbon nanotubes to semiconductors is a main research thrust both at an academic and commercial level. RIKEN and Sony are developing organic semiconductors with a high capacity for flexible and printable electronics based on these materials.
The Japanese Nano-materials Laboratory(NML) makes a major contribution to the development of new nano-materials for practical industrialization. An important project conducted by NML, in collaboration with universities, industry and research public institutes, is project ‘Green’. This project aims to develop nano-materials for green energy, which is at the core of the new science and technology strategy. At present, around 70% of the world’s green energy production is generated by Japanese companies and there are significant research efforts in fuel cell technology and photocatalysts. Although the United States dominate in the life sciences area and Japan accounts for only a small percentage of life-sciences applications, Japan is still seen as a main global player in this sector. According to the national research institute RIKEN, Japan is ahead of most countries with regard to the integration of nano and bio manufacturing. Main research areas are regenerative medicine, drug delivery systems and nano-bio devices. Miniaturization in both the electronics and life sciences field,s made the integration of these fields possible and the fusion between these research areas is increasingly explored in Japan. By applying the semiconductor technology in the life sciences area, the creation of nano bio devices has become reality.
Although Japan is now providing less nanotechnology funding per annum that the United States and Europe, and China and Russia are seeking to catch-up fast, with well-funded top scientists, excellent research infrastructure and a well-developed commercial focus the future is bright for Nano in Japan.
Further information on the 4th Basic 5 Year Plan can be found at www.concertjapan.eu/system/files/CJ_D1.2_InformativeReport_JapanSTIFundingPolicy.pdf and www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/english/basic/4th-BasicPolicy.pdf. Further information on the 3rd Basic 5 Year Plan can be found at www.nistep.go.jp/achiev/ftx/eng/stfc/stt025e/qr25pdf/STTqr2503.pdf. A full review of current nanotech R&D in Japan is available at www.rathenau.nl/uploads/tx_tferathenau/Nanotechnology_and_TA_in_Japan.pdf.
