2020 Volume 66 Issue 2 Pages 189-203
The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of industrial support projects to development of new products in the Takaoka copperware production area.
The Takaoka copperware production area has been famous for traditional craft production, including Buddhist equipment, Shinto instruments and works of industrial arts, since the Edo period. However, production in this area has decreased since the 1990s due to increase in imported and decline in demand goods. On the other hand, enterprises have developed original new products since the 2000s. The new products mainly include tableware, interior products and exterior products.
Industrial support projects by public research institutes had the grate influence on development of new products. There are two public research institutes that provide industrial support projects for development of new products in Takaoka. Industrial support projects triggered expansion of new products development. In addition, these provided learning opportunities for enterprises and facilitated the formation of networks with entities outside Takaoka.
Development of new products in Takaoka is due to propose new product designs and expansion of product range, not advance of manufacturing technologies. So, enterprises particularly focus on establishment of networks with entities that have knowledge of product design. But designers tend to work in metropolitan area in Japan. Therefore, industrial support projects by public research institutes play the role in overcoming geographic distance between enterprises in Takaoka and designers and encouraging the formation of new networks. In this way, new trends are emerging in Takaoka.
