The Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI), an incorporated administrative agency with non-civil servant status, was established on April 1, 2001 as a new platform to bring about creative and innovative policy debates based on world-class research, analysis and policy studies from mid- and long-term strategic perspectives.

For Japan to become a vibrant society through drastic reform of its economic structure and administrative systems, it is necessary to break the conventional administrative and policy framework and invigorate the policymaking capacity. Through such actions, Japan, as a member of the international community, will then be able to proactively implement more dynamic and innovative policies.

Reinvigorating policymaking and improving the dissemination of information requires a new policymaking platform and should be undertaken by an organization holding a certain degree of independence from the government, where not only administrative officers but also academic and private-sector experts and researchers from overseas can work in friendly competition to undertake various research assignments, analyses and policy studies, and make policy proposals.

It is against this backdrop that RIETI was established as a non-civil service style independent administrative agency with the purpose of undertaking public policy studies - a key and vital mission - efficiently and effectively by utilizing its personnel and budgetary flexibility.

As an economic and industrial policy platform that efficiently and effectively provides the government with a theoretical backbone and knowledge network, RIETI undertakes the following operations:

Research and studies

RIETI conducts world-class critical research and studies on economic and industrial conditions as well as relevant policies both within Japan and abroad.

Policy proposals and public relations

RIETI proactively seeks to influence policymaking by providing its research results and proposals for policy debates and policymaking processes, not only by compiling them into publications - such as the "Keizai Seisaku Rebyu (Economic Policy Review)" series - and website articles, but also by hosting a series of conferences.

Data collection and management / statistics processing and management

Through RIETI's advanced knowledge management method, which takes full advantage of information technology, tacit knowledge useful for policymaking is turned into explicit knowledge, and then stored in databases. Thus, RIETI offers a simple yet reliable system for accessing and collecting information necessary for policy studies and policy proposals.

RIETI undertakes innovative studies which would not otherwise come into the government's scope of ideas or have yet to be taken up by the government with a view to mid- and long-term economic system reform as well as introducing new policies. REITI also provides a theoretical and analytical foundation for improving or abolishing inefficient policies. RIETI's work has an impact on influential commentaries, reviews and policy debates among experts.