It is highly desirable for researchers to continue their career after their formal retirement age in order to strengthen the basis of fundamental research of the country. While recent legislation has given researchers in enterprises and universities some possibilities to continue their work, many have still to give up their career in spite of their achievement, potential and willingness. Even the lucky few who have succeeded in extending their career seem, in most cases, to have to spend much time in educational and administrative activities at the expense of creative work. To improve the situation, the present author proposes establishment of a new mechanism dedicated to employment of senior researchers. In view of the poor financial situation of the administration and industry, such a system would have to be based on non-profit bodies relying on donations and volunteer workers, possibly with assistance from the administration, academia and industry. The recent amendment of the NPO law has facilitated to collect donations by relaxing conditions for tax credit. It is also expected for a system to be developed for qualifying organizations eligible for donations. The author hopes these events help emergence of opportunities for senior researchers in Japan.

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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.

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Technology transfer from university to private company is one of the major outcomes of TLOs and academia-industry collaboration sections in university. This paper describes, through the experience worked in Nihon University, that the contribution of researchers (inventors) is very important to promote licensing activities in university. It shows that the information from researchers about companies of potential future licensees is very useful to close on license agreements. It is also shown that patents solved the inventors' own research problems are often easier to be licensed than the other patents, with the inventors' earnest cooperation for licensing. Furthermore, this type of licensing with such patents is one of the clear outcomes of technology transfer activities in university and it directly supports the researcher's daily activities.

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TAMA Association, established in 1998, is a body for coordination of the industrial businesses, universities, local banking facilities and local authorities located in the Greater Tokyo Area in collaborative R&D projects. The present article describes its principal activities including networking, R&D promotion, organization of events, support for new businesses, market development, and manpower recruitment. It also acts as a body for implementation of governmental policies on promoting local industries. Creating an innovative business climate, and collaboration with other areas in Japan as well as other countries are important tasks for the Association in future.

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Considering with university-industry alliance in the USA, we tend to pay attention to patenting and technology transfer by university or university start-ups. But in this paper, we focus on research co-operation between university and industry and explain the present situation of university research centers and strategic research alliances. And we attempt to discuss why US Universities have been most attractive research partners for companies and implications for improvement on university-industry co-operation in Japan.

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The Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7) of the European Commission (EC) is the most comprehensive Europe-wide programme that supports also the promotion of industry-academia cooperation. Since the start of the first Framework Programme in 1984, FP has been evolving by integrating other prorammes and new areas. Under the overarching policies (Lisbon Strategy for 2000-2010 and Europe2020 for 2010-2020), current FP7 is covering from top-down thematic research and development (Cooperation programme) to frontier research by outstanding talents (Ideas programme), augmentation of R&D capacities and competitiveness (Capacities programme) as well as circulation of knowledge/researchers and career development (People programme). It also covers peaceful use of nuclear energy (EURATOM). Together with other relevant EU programmes including CIP and EUREKA, European science, technology and innovation is supported extensively with long-term vision and strategy. Based on the ratification of the EC-Japan science and technology cooperation agreement in March 2011, both governments are now working together towards more intense cooperation and reciprocal access to programmes. There seems to be a lot that Japan can learn and benefit through the cooperation with Europe.

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University-industry-government collaboration in China looks successful. Funding from companies occupies nearly 40 percent of university R&D expenditure and the sales of university spin-off companies amounted to 137 billion Chinese yuan in 2007. This paper discusses university-industry-government collaboration in China compared with that in Japan, after explaining the changes of the Chinese national innovation system in a transition to a market economy from a planned economy. The paper points out that the success factors could be strong incentives and pressures provided by the government, leads and supports of both the central government and local governments, flexible operational management of various systems, relatively technologically weak business sector and so on. Finally, some implications for university-industry-government collaboration in Japan are stated as concluding remarks.

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本稿では,国内の移動体通信業界において,通信オペレータが端末ベンダからの技術提供だけに頼ることなく,技術連携を通じていかに自社のコア技術を確立してきたかを論じる。とくに,NTTドコモを中心とした主要ステークホルダーが果たしてきた役割と貢献を明らかにするため,特許データを用いて分析を行った。分析結果から,NTTドコモは他プレーヤーに比べ自社内でコア技術を醸成する戦略に重点的に取り組みながら,技術的価値の高い基盤技術を数多く輩出していることが明らかになった。また,NTTドコモが保有するコア技術は,他オペレータ,端末ベンダに技術継承され,多種多様なイノベーションを生み出す結果をもたらしていることが分かった。さらに,NTTドコモは,日本電気,富士通,パナソニックモバイルコミュニケーションズ,三菱電機の端末ベンダ4社と技術連携を通じて役割分担を行い,強力なエコシステムを形成することでイノベーションスピードを加速させてきたことが伺える。しかしながら,第3世代システム導入後は,国際標準技術の採用が進んだ結果,第2世代で形成されたエコシステムに変化が見られた。具体的には,携帯電話の域を超えて多様なニーズに応えるため,NTTドコモのR&D活動においても基盤技術のインキュベーションからの方針転換が図られたこと,および応用技術に注力して自社内での技術蓄積に継続して取り組んでいることが明らかになった。

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大学で生み出された研究成果の産学連携による社会還元のためには,企業の事業化ニーズと大学の研究シーズを早い段階から共有化して共同研究を進めることが重要である。本論文では,産学共同研究の創出プロセスに焦点を当て,そのメカニズムの解明を試みた。分析対象として東京大学産学連携本部で運用されているProprius21と呼ばれる共同研究創出マッチング・プログラムのデータを用い,さらに企業の研究開発特性を,売上高研究開発費比率と特許の国際特許分類(IPC)のサブクラス数によってマッピングするという手法によって分析し,マッチング・プログラムを運用するプログラム・オフィサーへのインタビュー調査も加味して,産学共同研究の創出メカニズムを分析した。その結果,東京大学では全学の産学共同研究の中でProprius21プログラムから創出される共同研究の割合が年々増加しており,マッチング・プログラムの有効性が確認された。Proprius21の新規共同研究創出効果を業種別,研究分野別に分析すると,情報通信分野での貢献度が特に高く,共同研究数の多いライフサイエンス分野での貢献度は低いことがわかった。さらに,企業の研究開発特性のマッピング分析から,Proprius21のような組織連携による産学のマッチング機能は,幅広い技術分野にわたり事業を行い,研究開発に積極的な企業との共同研究創出に有効であることが明らかになり,このような企業マッピングが共同研究対象企業選定の際に有効な指標と成り得ることがわかった。

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