The Journal of Science Policy and Research Management

What will be the future of Japan?

Yuko HARAYAMA

Article type: Article
2014 Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages 148-149
Published: February 24, 2014
Released on J-STAGE: October 21, 2017

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.20801/jsrpim.28.2_148

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By the past, Japan has experienced period of growth and economic stagnation. Today, within the framework of drastic structural changes, in particular with the arrival of new players and ever expanding global value chains, Japan has still difficulty to find its capacity to proactively adapt to the environment. The council for Science and Technology Policy (CSTP) launched A Comprehensive Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy last June, aiming at transforming Japan to a most innovation friendly country. CSTP expects that this "future directon of Japan" will be shared with all actors of the Japanese innovation system.

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TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE AGAIN(<Special Report>The Way to Bear Japan's Futures)

Go YOSHIZAWA

Article type: Article
2014 Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages 150-152
Published: February 24, 2014
Released on J-STAGE: October 21, 2017

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.20801/jsrpim.28.2_150

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The Way ro Bear Japan's Futures(<Special Report>The Way to Bear Japan's Futures)

Go YOSHIZAWA

Article type: Article
2014 Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages 153-162
Published: February 24, 2014
Released on J-STAGE: October 21, 2017

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.20801/jsrpim.28.2_153

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Vividly depicting vital visions steers the direction of science, technology and innovation policy although it becomes increasingly difficult to foresee future society. In Japan, there has been interest less in what comes than in how to ride the tide when it comes. This cultural orientation deteriorated Japanese futurology flourished in the 1960s, as bounded by collectivism and presentism making politics taboo. The other way to anticipate futures demands a novel design thinking of wider knowledge and technology process and its social situation/context, going far beyond skimming tangible product design. Intermediary agencies between knowlege producers and users may realize such thinking by linking these two with their dynamics, flexibility and future orientation. They also include social scientists, who are now requested to project themselves into the future with due responsibility and imagination. Among them, five up-and-coming contributors from various areas in academia and practice are invited for this special issue.

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Science and Technology with Perspective of Hope and Expectation(<Special Report>The Way to Bear Japan's Futures)

Wakana SUZUKI

Article type: Article
2014 Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages 163-174
Published: February 24, 2014
Released on J-STAGE: October 21, 2017

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.20801/jsrpim.28.2_163

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This article examines the significance of future-oriented activities, by way of reviewing discussions on "hope" and "expectation" in the fields of sociology and science and technology studies. First, the article explores relevant Japanese discussions, paying special attention to kibo-gaku "social science of hope". The specific assumptions made in this field are found to carry certain limitations. Moreover, although future-oriented activities such as Technology Assessment and foresight exercises are increasing in Japan, the social sciences have made littile theoretical contribution to them. Second, the article turns to focus on the sociology of expectations, an interdisciplinary field emerging in Europe by combining science and technology studies, innovation studies, and sociology. Referring to concepts and empirical studies in the sociology of expectations, the article highlights the interaction of future-oriented activities with science and technology. In conclusion, the article suggests possibilities for bringing theoretical and practical discussions on future-oriented activities in Japanese social science.

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Shapking the Future Vision - the Activity of Foresight : Implications arising from the concept of resilience and the analysis of governance structure(<Special Report>The Way to Bear Japan's Futures)

Makiko MATSUO

Article type: Article
2014 Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages 175-184
Published: February 24, 2014
Released on J-STAGE: October 21, 2017

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.20801/jsrpim.28.2_175

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This paper reveiwes the development of the first to the fifth generation of foresight in existing literature and shows how the change in the relationship between science and society has impacted the roles and concept of foresight. The paper finds that the concepts of "diversity" and "dispersion" are the key characteristics of the foresight needed today. These concepts are also discussed in the resilience discussion in ecology and governance literature. The emphasis on these two concepts requires the changes in governance structures from a traditional top-down linear model to a more decentralized network type, where the government acts as a coordinator of multi-level requirements from a meta-governance perspective. Institutional redesign is needed to avoid the potential tension between the concepts of "diversity" and "dispersion", and the concepts of "stability" and "certainty" under the law. The paper also stresses that foresight must be a reflexive and continuous process as it has distributional implication.

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Environmental Innovation Design through a Strategic Linkage between Research Seeds and Visions : Theoretical framework and approaches(<Special Report>The Way to Bear Japan's Futures)

Keishiro HARA

Article type: Article
2014 Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages 185-195
Published: February 24, 2014
Released on J-STAGE: October 21, 2017

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.20801/jsrpim.28.2_185

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Future visions and scenarios toward building sustainable societies are being increasingly developed. Meanwhile, advanced technologies and research seeds that could contribute to achieving such visions are also being rigorously conceived. However, there exist gaps between such visions and individual technology seeds, hindering a transition to envisioned sustainable societies. In this paper I first discuss distances between individual seeds at micro level and visions at macro level by demonstrating some examples. I then propose a "vision-meso-seeds"(VMS) model as a practical framework for addressing sustainability transition. In particular, I illustrate meso level research which aims to design a matching of promising seeds at the micro level and societal visions at the macro level and argue that the meso level research shall constitute one of the core fields in sustainability science. I highlight the importance of matching various strategies and measures derived from the top-down (vision-oriented) approach and bottom-up (seeds-oriented) approach in the meso level research. I suggest that accumulation of knowledge through case studies and social experiences be needed to enhance the theory and approaches associated with VMS model and the meso level research.

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Innovation Designer Development in the Higher Education and the Business in the United States(<Special Report>The Way to Bear Japan's Futures)

Masashi SATO

Article type: Article
2014 Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages 196-206
Published: February 24, 2014
Released on J-STAGE: October 21, 2017

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.20801/jsrpim.28.2_196

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Design thinking is one of the notable keywords about innovation as a way to generate unprecedented business ideas, products, services, policies, and so on. Since design thinking has been gradually acknowledged among universities and industries in the United States, a few universities have launched design thinking programs to foster innovation designers who are capable to raise innovations in industries. In addition, a new type of consulting firm, design consulting firm, has been emerging in the US; design consulting firms hire innovation designers so that they can promote their clients' innovation. By sorting out the competencies of innovation designers from these universities and firms, this paper describes the mainstream of developing and utilizing innovation designers in the US. Conversely, design thinking is still a very new idea in Japan and it has recently become a boom in the part of universities and industries. However, the intrinsic value of this new idea should be more studied and digested.

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The Possibilisites of Future Session as a New Process of Social Innovation with Public Participation(<Special Report>The Way to Bear Japan's Futures)

Takahiko NOMURA

Article type: Article
2014 Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages 207-218
Published: February 24, 2014
Released on J-STAGE: October 21, 2017

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.20801/jsrpim.28.2_207

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This article describes the new innovation process, which we coincided Future Sessions. Future Centers in Europe are symbolic places to drive such innovation processes. In Japan, dialogue events called Future Sessions are spreading in public, social, and private sectors to overcome the barrier amongst sectors. Future Session is different from ordinary workshop; Future Session enables building relationships with stakeholders as well as creating good ideas. The new relationship between existing stakeholders and future stakeholders enables us to design new systems of our society, and to act collectively. We discussed the possibilities of Future Session as a new process of social innovation with public participation.

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[title in Japanese]

Article type: Bibliography
2014 Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages 219-221
Published: February 24, 2014
Released on J-STAGE: October 21, 2017

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.20801/jsrpim.28.2_219

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The Oroposal of Estimating Method of Patent Rate Using Quantitiative Parameter in Patent Specification

Gen ABIKO

Article type: Article
2014 Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages 223-234
Published: February 24, 2014
Released on J-STAGE: October 21, 2017

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.20801/jsrpim.28.2_223

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The purpose of this study is to propose estimating method of patent rate using num-case component model. In this study I used two indexes 1) num, 2) case component as quantitative element which has a connection with the probability of patent. Furthermore in this study I analyzed a relation between two quantitative indexes 1), 2) and the probability of patent. The result of our analysis clearly shows that two indexes 1), 2) is strongly related to the probability of patent. And in this study I proposed quality control method of patent specification for the purpose of improvement of patent rate.

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On innovating Production Control in Steel Industry : The case of Kimitsu Steelworks

Kiyoshi NISHIOKA, Yasunori BABA

Article type: Article
2014 Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages 235-245
Published: February 24, 2014
Released on J-STAGE: October 21, 2017

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.20801/jsrpim.28.2_235

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Based on the case study of Kimitsu Steelworks of Nippon Steel Corp. (currently Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp.), this paper illustrates how the factory in steel industry can innovate its production control system in the 21st century. Based on the hearing investigation on the management of steel plate factory, the paper explains the process how (i) the middle management who received unilateral authority to manage the shop floor as a result of organizational reforms provided the shop floor with a new management goal to eliminate bottlenecks in production process; (ii) organizational learning having crossed the traditional organizational boundary enabled the shop floor to change on-site routines, having resulted in the firm's improvements in both productivity increase and shortening lead-time in the shop floor. Based on our observations, the paper suggests managerial implications how to innovate production control systems in process industries.

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