Experience of Cooperation between Universities and Industry in Japan

Abstract

The features of cooperation between universities and industry in Japan are studied. Particular attention is paid to the formation of state policy, which should have a positive impact on the effectiveness of interaction between science and industry within the national innovation system. The main sources of information for analysis are foreign and domestic publications, statistical data and electronic sources of information from authorities and universities. It is noted that government measures to strengthen the interaction of industrial enterprises with universities are built into the single policy of reforming the national innovation system of Japan, which is developing according to five-year basic plans. The government of the country promotes the intensification of research in universities and the inclusion of university research in the creation of industrial innovations. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, laws were passed to stimulate research and development in universities and to strengthen cooperation between universities and industry. Of particular importance was the adoption of the Law on Science and Technology (1995), according to which the state is obliged to ensure the interaction between universities and industry as a prerequisite for increasing the volume of RD; the Law on Support of Technology Transfer between Universities and Industry, which initiated the creation of technology licensing organizations (1998); and the Law on the Change of the Status of National Universities (2003). The new status — national university corporations – had expanded the rights of universities in the curriculum development, the management of intellectual property, the distribution of financial resources and the organization of cooperation with external economic entities. It is emphasized that the measures have had a positive impact on cooperation between universities and industry: in recent years, Japan has seen a steady increase in large-scale joint projects. Examples are given of Osaka University and Hokkaido University, which have created specialized organizations to ensure effective interaction with industry and simplify the process of commercialization of scientific results. The positive characteristics and problems of cooperation between universities and industry in Japan are summarized.