2008 Volume 5 Pages 133-154
National projects often would not stop, even when a failure is predicted. For example, the Ministry of Transport in Japan developed a new type of a high-speed ship "Techno-Super-Liner (TSL)" and the TSL development project was considered to be "successful" technically in trial voyage. Even though its high production and operation costs were pointed out from the start, the Ministry of Transport decided to use TSL commercially, and resulted in utter failure.
The author has investigated the case of TSL in detail in order to show the mechanism of this failure This paper has analyzed the background of the national project on TSL and the technical development of TSL in a technological research association. It also has shown the process towards commercialization and social and political background.
The author has shown the three factors of failure. Firstly there was no mechanism to consider commercial user's real need in R&D. Secondly there was no mechanism to stop or redirect the R&D, when it was found a mismatch between those who develop technology and those who use the technology. Thirdly R&D process was vulnerable to a political intervention if there was no definite goal of R&D before the project was started.
