International Cluster Cooperation
Cluster Support Mission: Matchmaking mission to Japan for EU Green Materials and Clean Technologies clusters
12/11/2012 to 15/11/2012 - Tokyo, Japan
Details
Any inquiries? Contact us:
EU-Japan Centre
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Introduction
Globalisation of research and innovation and global competition are putting a new emphasis on the role of regional clusters and the need to further their development. Clusters increasingly see the need to link with other clusters at the international level, building on complementarities in order to strengthen their global lead positions, acquire access to targeted markets and know-how, exchange information and experience, establish networks in special technology or application fields and improve international visibility.
To stimulate and facilitate the global outreach of European and Japanese clusters, the first-ever âEU-Japan Regional Cluster Forumâ was held on 2 & 3 December 2008 in Yokohama, Japan, in the context of the âJapan Cluster 2008 Fairâ and brought together European and Japanese clusters. Highlights included around 80 face-to-face meetings between European and Japanese clusters and a seminar where European and Japanese policymakers and clusters enhanced mutual awareness on cluster policies, development methods and management practices.
Helpdesk for Clusters
To follow up this inaugural event, the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation began a new helpdesk service for the benefit of European and Japanese clusters, to help them identify potential cooperation partners in the reciprocal regions. Our Centre also intends to facilitate access to information on EU and Japanese clusters in general, on existing cooperation set-ups between EU and Japanese clusters, and on financing tools that may be used to foster future cooperation.
For inquiry, please contact Ms. Aiko Higuchi, Head Office in Japan, EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation.
Clusters in Japan
Since regional industry became concerned by the industrial hollowing-out of Japanese regions caused by globalization, the importance of regional innovation through the advancement of science has gained recognition in Japan. Cluster Plans have been adjusted by the Japanese Government to become effective policies for regional innovation and job creation.
National Cluster Program
Industrial Cluster Project
More details
Duration
Fiscal Year 2001 - Fiscal Year 2009
Short Description
The Industrial Cluster project is a program in which regional SMEs and start-up companies utilize innovative research results or âseedsâ obtained at universities and research institutes to form industrial clusters.
Policy
(1) In a change from implementing policies uniformly throughout Japan under centralized management, policies are implemented first and foremost by those actually working in the field; under the âfield workers know bestâ principle. (2) The project secures the appropriate tools for constructing the networks (cores of clusters) and strategically applies the policies and programs of other ministries, departments, bureaux, and organizations to support research and development of other tools; partnerships between businesses; development of marketing channels, entrepreneurship and human resources; and other critical factors.
Source:
http://www.meti.go.jp/policy/local_economy/tiikiinnovation/source/2009Cluster(E).pdf
Objective
Strengthening the competitiveness of Japanese industry, such as IT, biotechnology, the environment, and manufacturing.
Actor
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)
Budget
JPY 16.6 billion in FY 2009
Target Group
Regional SMEs and start-up companies
Results
Until FY2009, 18 projects nationwide, with the joint cooperation of METIâs regional bureaux and private sector promotion organizations, built close cooperative relationships with about 10,200 regional SMEs taking on the challenge of new businesses and researchers etc. and more than 290 universities in total (including industrial colleges).
Source: METI
Collaboration with European clusters
(UK) Biotechnology : Kazusa Biotechnology project â UK
(UK) Biotechnology : Kanto Biotechnology project â South West England
(The Netherlands) Functional food : Kansai Biotechnology project â Food Valley
(Germany) Automotive : Chugoku Next Generation Industries project â Germany
(Germany) Biotechnology : Kazusa Biotechnology project â Dusseldorf
(Germany) Optoelectronic equipment : Hamamatsu â Jena
(France) Medicine, medical equipment, etc : Kansai Biotechnology project â Life Science Corridor
(France) Cosmetics, functional food : Hokuriku â Loiret
(France) Functional food : Shikoku Techno Bridge plan â Lyon
(Switzerland) Micro machinery : Suwa â Geneva, etc)
(Italy) IT, health and welfare : TAMA project â Veneto
(Italy) IT, manufacturing : Tokai Manufacturing project â Torino
(Sweden) Manufacturing : Kansai Front Runner Project â Sweden
(Denmark) Medical treatment : Kansai Biotechnology project â Medicom Valley
More details:
http://www.meti.go.jp/policy/local_economy/tiikiinnovation/source/2009Cluster(E).pdf P.10
Knowledge Cluster Initiative
More details
Duration
Fiscal Year 2002 - Fiscal Year 2009
Short Description
The Knowledge Cluster Initiative, is a framework where the technological seeds possessed by core universities and other research institutions and the practical needs of businesses provide stimulation; and where sustainable innovations are generated in the local areas through the formation of joint research organizations comprised of industry, academia, government and human networks in the local areas; and where various policies such as financial facilitation and establishment support are implemented.
Policy
The formation of clusters with a high potential to develop into world-class clusters as well as small-scale clusters that make use of individual regional characteristics.
Objective
Strengthening the competitiveness of Japanese industry, such as IT, biotechnology, the environment, and manufacturing.
Actor
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)
Budget
JPY 7.5 billion in FY2009
Activity
(1) Conducting joint research by industry, academia, and government
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Conducting joint industry-academia-government research at university joint research centers or other institutions to produce new technology seeds to meet corporate needs
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Patenting research results and conducting R&D relating to incubation
(2) Using projects by local governments, related ministries, etc.
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Fully implementing projects, from R&D to commercialization, and using R&D systems controlled by related agencies and ministries like the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)
(3) Other
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Setting up a âKnowledge Cluster Headquartersâ in each region as a control center for project implementation (staffed by a President, Project Director, Chief Scientist, and others)
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Assigning science and technology coordinators (experts), with emphasis on expertise, and using advisers like patent attorneys
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Holding forums and other meetings to announce and discuss research results
http://www.mext.go.jp/component/a_menu/science/micro_detail/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2010/02/01/1288448_2.pdf
Results
MEXT reports some successful examples of the Knowledge Cluster Initiative
Projects on its website.
(
http://www.mext.go.jp/component/a_menu/science/micro_detail/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2011/02/14/1296698_6.pdf)
And MEXT also published the interim report which evaluated the six selected clustersâ progress in FY 2009. Of the six clusters (Sapporo (Bio), Sendai (Healthcare), Nagano (Smart device), Hamamatsu (Optronics), Kansai (Bio medical) and Fukuoka (LSI)), Hamamatsu, Kansai and Fukuoka areas scored highly in terms of internationalization whilst others were given low scores due to their lack of concrete plans for internationalisation, according to this report.
*For details on the interim report, please refer to the following webpage (only available in Japanese):
http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/kagaku/chiiki/cluster/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2010/04/19/1292072_1.pdf
Source: http://www.mext.go.jp/component/a_menu/science/micro_detail/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2010/02/01/1288448_3.pdf
Collaboration with foreign clusters
As part of the Knowledge Cluster Initiative Projects, the âExpansion Program,â which aims to encourage strategic collaboration with other regions both in Japan and overseas, has been implemented in order to enhance the competitiveness of the clusters.
International collaboration projects in each region can be found in the following document:
http://www.mext.go.jp/component/a_menu/science/micro_detail/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2010/02/01/1288448_5.pdf
Regional Innovation Cluster Program
More details
Duration
Fiscal Year 2010
Description
In 2010, MEXT created
the Project for Developing Innovation Systems, in order to strengthen industry-academia-government collaboration and promote the self-sustainability of the regions by merging
the Knowledge Cluster Initiative, the City Area Program (which aimed to construct a foundation of Industry-Academia-Government cooperation), and
the Project for the Strategic Development of Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration (which was the supporting program for universities).
The Regional Innovation Cluster Program started in FY 2010 as part of
the Project for Developing Innovation Systems. This program promotes joint research by industry, academia and government with local core universities and other research institutions with high R&D potential, and aims to form clusters capable of producing sustainable innovations by establishing industry-academia-government networks.
This program divides clusters into two types for effective cluster formation; Global type, which provides support for the formation of internationally-competitive world-class knowledge clusters and City Area type, which provides support for the formation of knowledge clusters that may be small in scale but that maximize local characteristics.
âAccelerative supportâ provides priority support for regions where efforts have been made in the past for the formation of knowledge clusters.
Objective
Global type: To establish globally-competitive, world-class knowledge clusters to attract human resources, technologies and funds from all over the world. This will be achieved by collaborating with other regions inside and outside of Japan and developing strategically a wide range of activities, such as promoting integrated research and development activities by industry, academia and government, fostering technological âseedsâ and expanding knowledge clusters.
City Area Type: To foster R&D-oriented local businesses and promote the formation of clusters that may be small in scale but that maximize local characteristics. This will be achieved by creating technological "seeds" using knowledge created by universities and other research institutions and by constructing self-sustainable industry-academia-government collaboration systems.
Actor
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)
Budget
JPY 12.065 billion in FY 2010
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Global Type JPY 7.942 billion
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City Area Type JPY 3 billion
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Accelerative Support JPY 1 billion
Activity
Under the
Regional Innovation Cluster Program, target clusters are selected and divided them between Global type and City Area type in order to provide effective support that these area could achieve each objective.
Regional Innovation Cluster Program (Global type):
http://www.mext.go.jp/component/a_menu/science/micro_detail/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2011/02/14/1296698_4.pdf
Regional Innovation Cluster Program (City Area type):
http://www.mext.go.jp/component/a_menu/science/micro_detail/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2011/02/14/1296698_5.pdf
Regional Innovation Strategy Support Program
More details
Duration
Fiscal Year 2011
Description
The Regional Innovation Strategy Support program was initiated as part of
the Project for Developing Innovation Systems, which aims at establishing and improving the systems that enable individual regions to create proactively innovations through the industry-academia-government collaboration policy.
In FY 2011, MEXT, METI and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) jointly selected regions with excellent original visions toward the creation of regional innovations and designated them as the
Regional Innovation Strategy Promoting Regions. Among the selected regions, those with especially outstanding strategies will receive seamless support for all activities ranging from fundamental research conducted by universities to commercialization of research results by companies. All pertinent policies of relevant ministries will be utilized to provide full-fledged support to help the regions realize their regional innovation strategies comprehensively and efficiently.
The Regional Innovation Strategy Support program by MEXT provides support to the regional innovation strategy focusing on the formation of intellectual assets and the human resource development.
Objective
The Regional Innovation Strategy Support Program aims at steadily expanding the achievements of previous cluster formation activities by utilizing the science and technology infrastructures developed and refined by individual regions and also at utilizing all pertinent policies of relevant ministries to provide full-fledged support to the regional innovation strategy promoting regions that have proactive and excellent visions toward the creation of regional innovations.
Actor
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)
Budget
JPY 11.059 billion in FY2011
Target Group
Among the twenty-four Regional Innovation Strategy Promoting Regions, thirteen areas were selected as target of Regional Innovation Strategy Support Program in FY2011. In addition, continuous support will be provided to the areas where past efforts were made for cluster formation under the MEXT program (e.g. Knowledge Cluster Initiative).
*For details on the selected 13 areas, please see this press release here (only available in Japanese):
http://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/houdou/23/08/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2011/08/01/1309100_02_3.pdf
**For details on the areas which will be continuously supported in the program, please refer to the following document:
http://www.mext.go.jp/component/english/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2011/11/18/1313336_5.pdf
Activity
There are four support programs offered by MEXT.
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Concentration of researchers who play core roles in regional innovation strategies
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Development and implementation of human resource development programs for realizing regional innovation strategies
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Establishment of knowledge networks of universities and other research institutions
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Support for sharing of research facilities and equipment among local universities and other research institutions
http://www.mext.go.jp/component/english/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2011/11/18/1313336_4.pdf
Cluster Info Links
Japan â Policy
Japan â Cluster Information
EU â Policy
EU â Cluster Information
Opening remark by Mr. Philippe DE TAXIS DU POET, EC Delegation
Photo © EU-Japan Centre, 2008
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Presentation by Mr. Yuji HOSOYA (METI)
Photo © EU-Japan Centre, 2008
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Presentation by Mr. Julien GUERRIER (EU-Japan Centre)
Photo © EU-Japan Centre, 2008
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Audience
Photo © EU-Japan Centre, 2008
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