In Japan several policy measures have been implemented for promotion of sharing research facilities and equipments and universities have been working for it. This trend is expected to improve achievements of Japanese scientific research by promoting accessibility to research facilities and equipments, not only for academia but also for industry and regional community. As this issue covers a lot of policy area, the author recently constructed a project in which 4 bureaus of Ministry of Higher Education, Sports, Culture, Science and Technology (MEXT) and academic researchers are involved. The project is proceeding a research and policy proposal.

Promoting research capabilities requires reforming the research environment, a task fraught with numerous challenges that are not necessarily easy to overcome, thus requiring appropriate management. In particular, ensuring that researchers have constant access to the necessary research equipment is crucial for the sustained creation of results.

In this special issue titled "Research Environment and Research Infrastructure Management to Promote Research," we will review from not only a policy perspective but also from academic and management viewpoints. Additionally, we will present research papers by experts who are actively engaged in the forefront of research infrastructure. These research papers will cover initiatives, challenges, and future developments regarding research environment reform.

The policy of sharing research infrastructure has been introduced in the 6th Basic Plan for Science and Technology and Innovation, as part of the ‘research environment reform'. However, the evidence of research infrastructure has been insufficient in both quality and quantity, and there has not been a situation conducive to obtaining policy feedback based on Evidence-based Policy Making (EBPM). Taking such circumstances into account, the e-CSTI (Evidence data platform constructed by the Council for Science, Technology, and Innovation), built by the Cabinet Office, has been attempting to acquire and analyze evidence related to research infrastructure in recent years.

This paper introduces the new evidence and science, technology, and innovation policies on the research environment for promoting research. Furthermore, it delves into the forefront of research infrastructure and research environment reform.

In the "Guidelines for the Promotion of Sharing of Research Facilities and Equipment," a strategic facility development and operation plan was proposed. In formulating this plan, it is necessary to analyze the university's management strategy and financial resources, and to incorporate a medium- to long-term perspective.

The conventional facility master plan has a strong meaning mainly as a document for requesting estimates from the government, and there are problems with the effectiveness of the plan. In addition, there were issues such as the fact that the budget for the development of research facilities was often bottom-up at the research site, and that the budget framework led by the university was not functioning sufficiently. On the other hand, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has pointed out the need to consider the development of research infrastructure in the medium to long term while collaborating with industry, academia, and government, and the relationship between research infrastructure strategy and industry-academia collaboration was also examined.

In order to formulate a strategic facility plan, it is necessary to change the way of thinking from a bottom-up budget system to one in which the national government and universities take the lead in developing facilities.

In order to improve research capabilities of Japan, it is necessary to strategically maintain, operate, and share research facilities and equipment based on university management strategies. In this situation, it is important to establish institutional research (IR) of research infrastructure that quantitatively analyzes and evaluates how the use of research equipment contributes to the research capabilities of universities, but this is still in the development stage. Therefore, it is necessary to improve its functions and establish a methodology. In this paper, we report the usage of research equipment inside and outside the university obtained from the equipment management system developed at the University of Miyazaki, and analyze the research fields, analysis contents, and regional characteristics of analysis request commissioned from outside the university. Moreover, we will analyze the number and quality of papers published through the use of research facilities, and describe an example of research infrastructure IR at our university, which is a local/regional university.

In universities, technical staff members are receiving significant attention as crucial personnel for advancing our country's research capabilities as a unified team. However, their presence within university organizations is often fragile, with many aspects such as organizational structure, career paths, and compensation lacking proper development. This paper provides a detailed description of the career paths of technical staff, discussions that have taken place thus far, and the evolution of their organization, including the concept proposed by the National Association of Universities in 1978, the transition issues to a new salary scale, the organization of technical staff, the introduction of a new rank system, and the transformation into national university corporations. Moving forward, it will be necessary to organize various reforms regarding technical staff while considering the historical background that has not been adequately summarized thus far. This will facilitate further discussions on technical staff and promote necessary reforms.

This paper explores the impact and future prospects of research infrastructure, focusing on Hokkaido University's initiatives as a case study. It examines the evolution of shared use policies and discussions surrounding technical staff, including recent actions by policy entrepreneurs through the lens of the "policy window" concept. Additionally, it discusses the required competencies and self-actualization of technical staff, introducing a foundational model for self-realization. The paper argues for the essential role of research infrastructure as a bridge between science, technology, and society, emphasizing collaboration as a key success factor in Japan. This collaborative framework is highlighted as crucial for enhancing the effectiveness and societal contribution of scientific research.

In the 6th Basic Plan for Science and Technology and other important science, technology, and innovation policies, technical staff in universities have garnered significant attention as key players for promoting research. This paper reports on the details and current status of the "TC College" an innovative system for nurturing advanced technical staff, which was established based on Tokyo Institute of Technology's next-generation human resources strategy. Furthermore, we will discuss on the grand design of the all-japan advanced training system for promoting research.

Reconstruction of research environment at the University is not only simple renewal, but also multi-track management of the unified organization, so that a reformation of research environment. At Kanazawa University, 7 strategies were designed and 11 workings have been conducted based on Core-facility Construction program by MEXT. In the paper, we focus on the technical staffs and their organization, carrier paths, skill improvement, evaluation processes, and database. After the reformation, preferrable changes have been observed. Some of the good practices are introduced at the end of the paper.

In March 2022, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) issued the "Kenkyu setsubi kikinokyoyu suishin ni muketa gaidorain" (Guidelines for Promoting the Shared Use of Research Facilities and Equipment) emphasizing the importance of collaborative utilization of research facilities and equipment, as well as the active involvement of technical staff to support such resources. The guidelines highlighted the significance of these aspects in maximizing research outcomes. In the context of universities, the term "researchers" refers to faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students, excluding undergraduate students.

However, recognizing the potential contribution of shared facilities and equipment in enhancing educational outcomes for undergraduate students and ultimately improving research capabilities, a program titled the "Aim to be Meister, Advanced Instrumental Analysis Training Program for Undergraduates" (commonly known as the Meister Training Program) has been implemented since 2018.

To date, 19 students who completed this program have been assigned to research laboratories. Feedback from their supervisors indicates that the program has alleviated the burden of novice instruction and reduced stress. Furthermore, it has proven effective in elevating the overall research proficiency of the laboratories. The technical staff members who served as instructor for students in this program reported improvements in their human skills and a reduction in certain workloads, indicating the program's meaningful impact.

The Meister Training Program, as a part of the larger ecosystem shaped by the diverse utilization of shared equipment, contributes to the enhancement of research capabilities, collaborative teamwork, and regional revitalization at Gunma university.