Archives:Technological Strength Needs and Feeds a New Research Infrastructure in Japan
Abstract
Japanese industry is generally considered to be very effective in translating research into commercial success. A popular image has been that in Japan the government and the business sector have contributed little in terms of developing new basic technologies, and instead have concentrated on combining and refining technologies developed elsewhere. There is little reason to doubt that Japan and its industry have benefitted enormously from the importation or copying of technology developed in the West, and especially in the United States. In most areas, however, Japanese industry has now progressed far beyond the "catch-up" phase and is aggressively pursuing basic technology development of its own. A powerful research infrastructure is being established as an integral part of this development, but it has a different structure than in many other countries, especially in the very strong participation of the corporate sector in long-term research.
Citation and Link
Lennart Stenberg, "Technological Strength Needs and Feeds a New Research Infrastructure in Japan," in Technological Competitiveness: Contemporary and Historical Perspectives on Electrical, Electronics, and Computer Industries (Piscataway, NJ: IEEE Press, 1993), 5-36.
