Abstract
University-industry cooperation is considered vital for Japanese universities today. Virtually all of the universities in Japan have been putting an emphasis on the promotion of university-industry cooperation as part of their efforts to contribute to society. Meanwhile, the Japanese government, which witnessed great success of university-industry cooperation in the United States, recognized the importance of university-industry cooperation and has implemented a series of policies and programs aimed at promoting university-industry cooperation in Japan following the suit. Such efforts included the so-called TLO Law in 1998 and Japan Bayh-Dole Act in 1999. Despite such efforts, however, university-industry cooperation in Japan is not considered to have taken off. At least it is not as successful as one in the U.S. This article analyzes the challenges surrounding the university-industry cooperation in Japan, explores success factors for university-industry cooperation by carrying out both qualitative and quantitative analysis methods, and presents possible solutions for Japanese university-industry cooperation.
