Abstract
SPring-8 was constructed jointly by Japan Atomic Energy Research Institut (JAERI) and the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN) with the time period of about seven years. It was a joint project where two research institutes with totally different structure and system formed a "joint project team" for machine construction. All was unprecedented in construction of large-scale research facilities. The most significant dharacteristics of the joint project team was that it did not have a juridical personality but instead existed just as a "field" where original plans were made and coordinated under the research collaboration agreement between JAERI and RIKEN. It had a complicated and unstable form compared to a joint venture(JV) often seen at building operations. Also this style of joint project team provided the project with characteristics that it had many R&D elements and allowed the management to have certain degree of discretion believing that both institutes would take over their own practice and be responsible for their own task share. Accordingly, this joint project team style was the main contributing factor that hastened the completion of SPring-8 by approximately one year and led the unprecedented joint project to success. Project management of SPring-8 directed mainly by the joint project team should be examined and consulted for the future large-scale/joint projects.
