RIETI Policy Symposium

System Design of University-Industry Co-operation

Announcement

The last decade of the 20th century was characterized by an emergence of the "knowledge based economy," with governments in most OECD countries intensifying their commitment to the research and development activities.
Japan is no exception. The Japanese government set its objective of a "nation based on science and technology" as the fundamental policy goal in 1980. Since then, it has implemented several laws and policy packages in the fields of science, technology, industry, and higher education towards "industry-university-state co-operation." Nevertheless a national innovation system based on the free movement of people and ideas seems to be under construction in Japan.
Universities, through their training and research functions, are expected to play a leading role in this process. Yet it remains to be seen whether or not universities are equipped to become an actor in the Japanese context.
The aim of this conference is thus to clarify the direction of reform in the Japanese science and technology system, with a particular focus on universities' contributions.

Information

  • Date and Time: Tuesday, December 11, 2001 12:30-17:30
  • Place: Science Council of Japan Auditorium (7-22-34 Roppongi Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-8555, exit5 of Nogizaka Station Chiyoda-Line)
  • Host: Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry IAI
  • Co-Host: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)
    Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)

Program (Simultaneous Interpretation)

Organizer
Nobuo Tanaka, RIETI Vice President
12:30-12:45 Opening Remarks: "University-Industry Co-operation: Its Current State and Problems"
Masahiko Aoki, RIETI President, Professor Stanford University
12:45-13:35 Keynote Speech 1: "Research Universities in the American Innovation System: Their Perspective for the 21st Century"
Richard Nelson, Professor, Columbia University
13:35-14:25 Keynote Speech 2: "Industry-University Cooperation and the Emergence of Spin-off Companies"
David Hodges, Professor, University of California, Berkeley
14:25-14:40 Coffee Break
14:40-15:30 The current state of Industry-University Collaboration in Japan
Masaki Esashi, Professor of University of Tohoku
Hitoshi Ogata, Vice President, Corporate R&D Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
15:30-16:00 Speech by Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy
Koji Omi
16:00-17:30 Panel Discussion: "The Best Practice of Industry-University Cooperation in the Japanese context?"
Chairperson:
Yuko Harayama, RIETI Fellow
Discussants:
Kiyoshi Kurokawa, Professor, University of Tokai
Tsutomu Kimura, President, National Institution for Academic Degrees
Takeru Onoda, Advisor, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation
Keisuke Isoya, Direcor, Office of Technology Transfer Promotion, MEXT
Masahiko Aoki, RIETI President
Hidetaka Fukuda, RIETI Visiting Senior Fellow
* The agenda is subject to change.