RIETI has been conducting research on economic and industrial policy since its establishment in 2001. In April 2024, we entered a new term of mid-term plan, with the goal of continuing to conduct high-level research while strengthening our contributions to policy.
During the long period of stagnation since the collapse of the bubble economy, Japanese economy has been left behind as other countries have rapidly developed. The situation is expected to become even more serious as the population declines and aging. In addition, new technologies are beginning to exert a widespread impact on the world. We are at a historic turning point marking the end of the era of globalization that followed the end of Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, and the security environment is also growing increasingly severe. Therefore, it is essential to find a path to long-term development through new, well-considered and steady policy measures.
In this situation, RIETI needs to reaffirm its mission of guiding economic and industrial policy toward a better direction for Japan through research, and to further promote its research activities. RIETI is enhancing opportunities for closer exchange of ideas between policy makers and RIETI fellows and researchers to ensure that enacted policies are backed by substantial research and to ensure that we promote research which responds to concrete policy concerns. At the same time, as an incorporated administrative agency, we will continue to verify the effectiveness of policies based on data and support policy formation, so that policies will be effective for Japan. Furthermore, because involvement in policy making is only possible with academic support, we will strive to maintain the high quality of research that has been accumulated over our history in each of our programs. We also hope that the greater exchange of views with policy makers will stimulate academic research. To tackle this series of difficult challenges, cooperation with various sectors is more important than ever. We would appreciate your guidance and advice in navigating this difficult road.
April 2025
