Though spillover potential has been identified for the betterment of economic growth, the studies on necessary infrastructures to induce spillovers is still in their early stages. This paper discusses how integrating technologies function as spillover infrastructures in the advanced stage of technological development. Taking the case of robotic technology as an integrating technology, this paper argues the important role of certain integrating technologies in creating a medium for knowledge distribution in an innovation system. Utilizing the Techno-Economic Network framework, this paper provides empirical evidences to show how the robotic technology in Japan, has been functioning as an invisible infrastructure to induce spillovers. This paper concludes that as intangible factors becomes important for building technological infrastructure, identifying the characteristics of integrating technologies in national systems will be an important policy issue.

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Here we focus only on the attempt to measure spillovers using a kinetic concept. Technology spillovers exist and the R&D of nearby firms produce positive effects, so that firms could get large benefits from spillovers. The first purpose of this paper is to review the important factors to increase the assimilation capacity. These factors allow us to suppose that each sector is separated by different level of position in order to calculate spillover effects. The second purpose is therefore to estimate the spillover effects in terms of kinetic approach. In this paper, we simulated the model using techno-economic data sets (Japanese manufacturing sector) and were able to obtain some interesting findings and implications: a) R&D spillover is a positive and significant externality and b) institutional effect is a crucial factor to accelerate assimilation capacity. However, it should be emphasized that this approach does not consider multi dimensional interactions among sectors. With such estimates, it would be possible to compute not only the absorption and assimilation capacity but also the technology stock including technology spillover beyond its own industry's borders. We think, this kinetic approach that we proposed in this paper could suggest a practical estimating method in terms of calculating absorption and assimilation capacity using speed concept instead of using regression based approach.

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In line with the increasing significance of the identification of firm's optimal R&D investment strategy, an attempt to introduce optimal theory into techno-economics analysis is conducted. On the basis of the theoretical analysis and empirical demonstration, identification of firm's optimal R&D investment strategy taking profitability, new innovation products and optimal trajectory of R&D intensity is attempted.

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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In Japan, the shortage of researchers is expected to be 1.76 million in 2010 by rapid aging of Japanesesociety. Japanese Economic White Paper of 1999 also said that Japan should discuss foreign labor employment in knowledge works. In this study, we examine what kinds of Japanese companies employs foreign researchers through a questionnaire survey. This questionnaire survey was delivered to 830 Japanese companies in Tokyo First Stock Market and got 250 responses (the response rate is about 30%). As a result of the study, we found that Japanese companies that already employed foreign researchers evaluated foreign researchers highly and Japanese firms with the greater sales (business) and R&D scales tend to employ the larger number of foreign researchers.

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[in Japanese]

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