Overview
2006 - 2009
Japan's competitiveness in the software industry is perceived as being weak. In the software industry as a whole there is an overwhelming import surplus, while exports are less than 10% of the value of imports. Among high-value-added high-tech industries it is rare to find any in which Japanese competitiveness is so overwhelmingly lacking. Additionally, this fact may have a negative impact on innovation in business processes that use information technology (IT). Why is this? Why has such a disparity in competitiveness arisen? Is it possible to devise policy remedies that will enhance competitiveness? The objective of our research is to empirically study various hypotheses that may answer these questions, and in so doing to identify the current state of software innovation in Japan, and to seek policies to enhance the competitiveness of software industries and promote business innovation through the use of software.
Until May 31, 2009
