The Journal of Science Policy and Research Management

"Think locally, Act globally" : Appropriate Technology Revisited

Shinichi KOBAYASHI

Article type: Article
2013 Volume 27 Issue 1_2 Pages 2-3
Published: January 31, 2013
Released on J-STAGE: October 21, 2017

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.20801/jsrpim.27.1_2_2

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The environmental problems and oil crisis, which attracted public attention in the 1970s, undermined optimism about progress in technology and economy. In response to this trend, the "appropriate technology" was proposed as a way of creating technologies that fit to the diverse natural, social and historical conditions involved in problems to be addressed. While this concept has not been fully successful because of the complexity of those conditions, the advance in information and communication technology has changed the situation by making a huge number of combinatorial calculations feasible. It is now easier to take into account the individuality, interdependence and history of the entities involved in a problem, thus reviving the idea of appropriate technology. The "smart grid" is an exemplary result of this approach. It is expected that reevaluation of the appropriate technology makes it possible to solve local problems by applying knowledge from all over the world.

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Technology Integration Process : Technology integration with mechanics and electronics in the automotive component business

Kingo OTA

Article type: Article
2013 Volume 27 Issue 1_2 Pages 4-16
Published: January 31, 2013
Released on J-STAGE: October 21, 2017

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.20801/jsrpim.27.1_2_4

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In recent years, it has been necessary for companies to create new technologies or acquire them from other companies. In the automotive industry, as with hybrid technology, the integration where various technologies are compounded is accomplished. In this paper, the technology integration process is clarified with the case of Electronic Fuel Injection from DENSO. The process consists of three stages and technological leaps to pass between stages. (1) acquisition of core technology (2) acquisition of peripheral technology (3) creation of system product The leap between the acquisition of core technology and the acquisition of peripheral technology is accomplished by the adoption of an intermediate technology. Owing to the integration of mechanics and electronics, technology integration and established mechatronics technology are realized. The leap between the acquisition of peripheral technology and the creation of a system product is realized from the integration of the technology.

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Determinants of Innovation in Japanese Large Pharmaceutical Firms : Analysis of biopharmaceutical products, sales of 20 billion products

Kinya KOKUBO

Article type: Article
2013 Volume 27 Issue 1_2 Pages 17-26
Published: January 31, 2013
Released on J-STAGE: October 21, 2017

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.20801/jsrpim.27.1_2_17

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The objective of this study is to use quantitative analysis to reveal the factors determining innovation in major domestic pharmaceutical companies. We conducted a questionnaire survey for 43 companies. This research clarified; 1) Both Companies possessing biopharmaceutical products and companies with an annual product turnover equal to or surpassing 20 billion yen are pursuing activities to protect their proprietary position such as securing patents and, as a result, gaining profits from these activities. 2) Companies possessing biopharmaceutical products have technological opportunities but they may not have achieved annual product turnover equal to or surpassing 20 billion yen. 3) Major domestic pharmaceutical companies are heavily influenced by the universities to keep possessing biopharmaceutical products or products whose annual sales exceeded 20 billion yen, and there is a possibility that the open innovation model is compatible.

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An Empirical Analysis of the Relationship between an Exploitation / Exploration Balance and Sustainable Firm Growth : Evidence in new pharmaceutical development

Osamu SUZUKI

Article type: Article
2013 Volume 27 Issue 1_2 Pages 27-38
Published: January 31, 2013
Released on J-STAGE: October 21, 2017

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.20801/jsrpim.27.1_2_27

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Leveraging longitudinal data on new pharmaceuticals development, the relationship between an exploitation/ exploration balance and sustainable firm growth was empirically studied. We show higher resource allocation to exploitative organizational learning is positively associated with short-term firm stability. On the other hand, higher resource allocation to exploratory organizational learning is positively associated with long-term firm adaptability. We also show our sample firms achieve the same degree of short-term firm stability and long-term firm adaptability by allocating roughly 50% of new pharmaceutical development resources to exploitative organizational learning. Some implications for future directions of research on organizational ambidexterity are discussed too, including an explanation on how simultaneous pursuit of exploitation and exploration enable sustainable firm growth, and a close connection between firm strategy and organizational ambidexterity.

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Effectiveness of Collaboration of Fabless Ventures with Semiconductor Distributor on Market access by Application Specific Standard Products : Case of graphic processing unit LSI for digital pachinko's

Akihiko NAGAI, Hiroki NAKAGAWA, Takayuki ITO, Koji TANABE

Article type: Article
2013 Volume 27 Issue 1_2 Pages 39-56
Published: January 31, 2013
Released on J-STAGE: October 21, 2017

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.20801/jsrpim.27.1_2_39

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The world from around 1990, Fabless semiconductor companies are making a remarkable breakthrough based on the market standard strategy of the Application Specific Standard Product (ASSP). Therefore, Japanese leading semiconductor companies do not strive for developing the ASSP. Similarly, the fabless semiconductor ventures also have not been successful on the ASSP business. But, a fabless semiconductor venture of the case study whose ASSP became market standard, had reaped a huge income that cooperates with semiconductor distributor and a leading user company. The authors clarify the issues of fabless semiconductor ventures in Japan. In addition, the authors analyze the critical success factor of this company, and suggest the cooperation for the opportunity to market access with fabless semiconductor ventures.

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Dynamic Change of the Number of Patent Inventors : A new indicator to characterize a firm's R&D management

Ken HASHIMOTO, Shuzo FUJIMURA

Article type: Article
2013 Volume 27 Issue 1_2 Pages 57-72
Published: January 31, 2013
Released on J-STAGE: October 21, 2017

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.20801/jsrpim.27.1_2_57

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This paper addresses a new method to analyze R&D management. Ink jet patents^# filed by Canon and Seiko Epson from 1976 to 2005 have been investigated to draw their dynamic changes of the flumber of inventors (DCNI) avoiding duplication in each year. We first confirm that "1/p" inventors, newly proposed in this study, generate some gap between the number of inventors and that of actual researchers. Second, we indicate that marked segments of the DCNI can be rationally related to major R&D activities described in existing documents both in the two companies during the corresponding periods. Third, we quantitatively characterize the differences of their R&D resource management by line slopes calculated using a linear approximation to the DCNI segments, and suggest that their technology selection (TIJ or PIJ) has an influence on their management differences. (^#: Japanese unexamined patent application publication)

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Consensus between Users and Suppliers toward the Standard : Achieving integrative benefits beyond the conflict

Masato ITOHISA

Article type: Article
2013 Volume 27 Issue 1_2 Pages 73-83
Published: January 31, 2013
Released on J-STAGE: October 21, 2017

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.20801/jsrpim.27.1_2_73

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Given the dyadic relationship in terms of consensus standards between users and suppliers, there exists a structural conflict between the two sides regarding the standard domain of openness in sharing technology. However, existing studies on consensus standards treat integrative benefits between participating companies as a premise, and do not give enough thought to the process of consensus formation through overcoming conflicts. This paper, therefore, focuses on the automotive industry's embedded software standard AUTOSAR, upon which a consensus was reached despite such conflicts, and conduct the exploratory case-study analysis. Results suggest that users and suppliers may enjoy integrative benefits and reach consensus on standards because suppliers take into account the other users in newly developed countries and business opportunities within complementary markets, despite enacted standards being favorable to users.

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A Discussion on Global Expansion in Service Industry : Principally from the viewpoint of cultural effect on hotel reception service in China

Junfu CHEN, Jinhua SHE, Hiroshi HASHIMOTO, Hajime ASAMA

Article type: Article
2013 Volume 27 Issue 1_2 Pages 84-98
Published: January 31, 2013
Released on J-STAGE: October 21, 2017

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.20801/jsrpim.27.1_2_84

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For the purpose of global service expansion, we need to know the culture of the target country and to make a great effort to take root in the country with adaptation to the culture. While the studies have emphasized the importance of the cultural effect on service; most of them just considered the effect as the point needed to be noted in the process of service standardization, but did not take it as competitive resources. This paper presents the results of preparatory investigations and observations for global service expansion. First, based on the questionnaire results of hotel communication services that we collected in China, we investigate the Chinese cultural effect. Then, we summarize the characteristics of the hotel communication services in China as (1) coexistence of several ways and share of those understanding, (2) plainness, and (3) the pursuit of culture-oriented extraordinariness. And we discuss practical implication at the creation of service differentiation by making use of the cultural effect.

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A Study for the Functional Enhancement of National University Cooperation in the Regional Science & Technology Policy : Focus on the view of "University extension function" such as industrial-academic-government cooperation

Shinji OKAMOTO

Article type: Article
2013 Volume 27 Issue 1_2 Pages 99-114
Published: January 31, 2013
Released on J-STAGE: October 21, 2017

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.20801/jsrpim.27.1_2_99

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The regional science & technology policy is one of the most important policy issue in Japan, so many policy measures are taken by the Science & Technology Basic Plan and some strategies such as New Growth Strategy. In these plan and strategies the national university cooperation acts significant role and function as a key player of higher education, research, and regional contribution. In this article, we reviewed and analyzed policy measures, functions and issues about the national university in the regional S & T policy since the 1980's especially focus on the view of "university extension function" such as industrial-academic- government cooperation. As a result, we should promote the strategic multifunctional alliances for "glocal" industrial-academic-government cooperation and strengthen university functions of personal training for regional revitalization, peculiar research to region and the strategic center of regional alliances.

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Quantitative Analysis on CVC Investment of Large ICT Firms in Japan

Kou YUKAWA

Article type: Article
2013 Volume 27 Issue 1_2 Pages 115-128
Published: January 31, 2013
Released on J-STAGE: October 21, 2017

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.20801/jsrpim.27.1_2_115

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Because it is increasingly difficult for large companies to crate innovation by themselves, venture companies are indispensable partners for innovation. This paper quantitatively analyzed the relationship between large ICT firms and ICT venture companies in terms of CVC investment of large ICT firms. Specifically, this paper analyzed 129 ICT venture companies that have already gone public by creating a database based on each company's prospectus and by investigating their investors when they went public. The result of this analysis shows that more than half of all CVC investment on ICT venture companies was invested by companies that are not ICT companies and 40% of these companies are unlisted companies. The investments of ICT firms are hitched by a few firms. This result suggest that Japanese large ICT firms have not become involved in a mutual relationship with ICT venture companies, even though theoretically they are conceivable innovation partners.

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[title in Japanese]

Article type: Bibliography
2013 Volume 27 Issue 1_2 Pages 129-132
Published: January 31, 2013
Released on J-STAGE: October 21, 2017

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.20801/jsrpim.27.1_2_129

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