Corporate Value Creation through the Strengthening of Intellectual Asset Management

Both in Japan and overseas, there is an increasing recognition of the importance of a value chain created by a combination of intellectual assets such as human, relational and structural assets that are key factors in raising corporate value. Research, policy debates and corporate efforts in this area are being carried out worldwide. In Japan, an interim report on intellectual asset management and its disclosure was published this June by the Industrial Structure Council of METI.

Discussion is also ongoing at the OECD, based on Japan's initiative. However, there is yet to be a common way of thinking or a common approach to intellectual asset management, be it on a national or international level. That is to say, there is a divergence in perspectives between (1) in terms of content, putting emphasis on the elements versus the process of value creation; (2) in terms of the process, putting emphasis on past accumulation as a basis of future value creation, versus the changes that will be brought by changes in the environment; (3) in terms of the perspective of examining value creation, one that looks at it from the internal workings of corporate management, versus the perspectives of outsiders such as investors.

This symposium is based on the results of RIETI's research project team on the relationships between intangible assets and corporations' value-creating potential, and will try to give an overview of the latest activities in Europe and global developments. Based on the above, the symposium will attempt to shed light on how Japanese corporations should combine the different approaches to strengthen their intellectual asset management and increase corporate value. It will further aim to provide insights into policy actions that will disseminate these approaches widely, and propagate them globally as best practices.