This report considered what the medical device industry is facing issues and trends，analyzed from two broad perspectives: changes in social needs and technological innovation. As a result of the analysis， three issues and trends were extracted. The first one is the movement to “strengthen regulations” to ensure security against new technological innovations. The second one is a move to “strengthen ethics”， or “compliance”， to make the relationship between the medical device industry and healthcare professionals and organizations more transparent. Third，technological innovation has increased the entry of new competitive companies， and there has been a move to “smart healthcare”， including the impact of disruptive technological innovation. These three trends examined using the most significant medical device manufacturer in Japan as an example case. Finally， it concluded the issues and trends in the medical device industry as a bird’s-eye view using the Five Forces framework.

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In recent year, SMEs （Small and Medium Sized Enterprises） are increasingly inclined to enter the healthcare industry sector with super-aging progresses in Japan. On the other hand, these new business by SMEs are getting needed to build new various relationship with medical, care and welfare personnel as well as the traditional business relationship with business-tobusiness transactions. In other words, the development of medical and care-welfare equipment by SMEs are getting needed not only the strength of strong ties, but also the strength of week ties.
So, this paper focuses on the affinity of healthcare industry cluster and social capital. Specifically, this study is analyzing about the development process of healthcare equipment by SMEs using the method of ego-centric networks and the case studies in Nagano Prefecture.
In conclusion, the following four points were clarified in this study. First, there’s a difference occurrence pattern of strong ties and weak ties in the development process of medical equipment and care-welfare equipment. Second, the cause of that is due to be different of production-oriented and manufactured items in medical equipment and care-welfare equipment by SMEs. Third, healthcare industry cluster is involved with the historical, cultural and social context in the area. Fourth, the boundary spanner by cluster facilitator and the function of temporary cluster plays an important role in the formation of healthcare industry cluster that are based on social capital.

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In recent years, the generics market in Japan has reached a turbulent period. Due to government policy, the volume share of generics is increasing rapidly. On the other hand, generic companies could not profit more than before because of the reduction in generic prices. As a result, the generic business in many new entrants, mainly innovative pharmaceutical companies, was transferred to a vertically integrated company run by pharmaceutical wholesalers and pharmacies in 2010s. Generic names in Japan have resembled those of private brands（ PBs） such as foodstuffs. In this paper, we conducted a survey analysis of the advantages of a group of vertically integrated companies sell generics as PBs, mainly by NIHON CHOUZAI Co. Ltd., in comparison with previous studies in other industries.
First, a vertically integrated business model in which both manufacturers and pharmacies are within the group can maintain sales prices and conduct sales activities with a minimum number of MRs. This suggests that sales management costs can be reduced.
On the other hand, the brands of these generics were derived from the company name, not the pharmacy name. Furthermore, these companies could not acquire the store brand because they also deal with brands of many trading competitors. There were no cases in which generics sold by a vertically integrated company had unique added value in accordance with the needs of the patients or pharmacists. The reason these companies take such a strategy is that pharmacies, rather than patients, have the choice of generics brand. And since the pharmacy has the brand selection right, the pharmacy can immediately switch from innovative medicine to PB generics according to the pharmacy’s intention. These suggest that PB generics are efficient and effective business compared to PB businesses in other industries.

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The R & D-type Global Niche Top Enterprises （GNT） is implementing a growth strategy that breaks out of the crisis in the face of environmental changes. If attention is focused on innovation there, it may be possible to obtain an efficient innovation strategy method.
In this research, we take up 9 small, medium and large-sized R & D-type GNT, and analyze based on case studies the growth strategy for breaking through the crisis, the characteristics of intellectual property development and monetization and the innovation strategy.
In order to carry out innovation, effective collaboration between internal and external resources is necessary. Therefore, our research is exploring success factors to realize new competitive advantage and sustainable growth by utilizing the resource collaboration strategy.

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The present study examines the sewing-weaving alliance to maintain domestic production.
First, the study estimated to restructure existing statistics on the status of import penetration of clothing and textiles, followed by suggestion for statistics and a simple model “step-by-step acceleration,” leading to integration of overseas from international process division. Furthermore, it observes the case of the sewing-weaving alliance and reveals its development potential and challenges.
The sewing process, as an assembly, and the weaving process, as making intermediate goods, did not link each other in the Japanese textile and apparel industry. Therefore, there was relocation overseas in the sewing process, and there was fragmentation in the sewing and the weaving. Thereafter, relocation overseas of the weaving process accelerated as the sewing process improved the overseas production, thus integration of production overseas was observed. Consequently, there was a “step-by-step acceleration” of overseas production.
In such a situation, domestic production will be maintained for the benefits arising from the interaction between the weaving and the sewing process, thus transfer to overseas area will be suppressed. One of the initiatives that produce this interaction is the sewing-weaving alliance. It is the creation of high value added and a new value arising from the interaction between processes, leading to diversification of different elements, thereby expanding the domestic production maintenance and viability. On the other hand, there are challenges to the sewingweaving alliance, such as the lack of an established market, an immobilized product, the lack of know-how and networks.

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The global automobile industry is said to be undergoing a “once-in-a-century” transformation. The core of this change is recognized as the CASE revolution, which refers to the trends of the times where four factors, such as Connected, Autonomous, Shared & Service and Electrification, are top priorities to be tackled with. The most intense trend among them is the promotion of “electrification” of vehicles such as the introduction of electric cars. “Electrification”, which is currently progressing, needs to be understood as part of the CASE revolution. The changes in the business environment represented by the CASE revolution have brought significant changes to competition and coordination in the global automotive industry.
The purpose of this paper is to analyze how major European automotive makers and suppliers are responding to “electrification” in this major revolution and to clarify their characteristics.
German automaker Volkswagen is in the one step ahead of “electrification” strategy among the major manufacturers. However, there are various factors which determine the current technological development level regarding the performance and cost of in-vehicle batteries, delays in the development of charging infrastructure and electric energy supply infrastructure. Considering these various circumstances, the feasibility of the strategy would be poor.
Currently, the “electrification” of the automotive industry in Europe is being promoted through the strengthening of social and/or legal regulations by the EU and its member countries. The development in the context of “regulation driven” is one of the features of Europe. The key for future progress will be how the initiatives for electrification can be integrated with other areas of CASE to develop new businesses.

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In recent years, social changes due to digital transformation （DX） have attracted a lot of attention, and discontinuous and disruptive changes due to digital disruption have changed the competitive landscape of various markets.
Conducting jointly with Japan Venture Research （JVR）, this study explores how existing business companies have been trying to create innovations using venture companies that are expected to develop existing company’s business in the process of digital transformation in all fields.
This study has analyzed data on CVC investments between 2007 and 2016. Result of the analysis suggests that major ICT companies are leading CVC investment, and the number of venture companies that receive CVC investment is increasing. This is because many companies are seeking innovation outside their existing business field where technological advancement is fast. In addition, venture companies that use technology to build and transform businesses are drawing attention.
On the other hand, in recent years, CVC investment has been dispersed in various industries. This suggests that major ICT companies are beginning to invest in these venture companies that are using ICT in various business services. At the same time, this result suggests that existing companies in Japan are trying to prepare for DX by making use of venture companies that are expected to be able to develop their business in the process of developing DX.
The analysis in this study was only about CVC investment from 2007 to 2016, but it seems that large companies are preparing for new innovations which is caused by DX with venture companies.

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