Technological innovation and industrial research in Japan

Abstract

As a background to the development of Japanese industry, important characteristics of its technological innovations and industrial research are discussed. The parrticular nature of Japanese development, if any, should be explained by the fact that from the start of industrialization by the Meiji Government, technological innovation was pursued as an integrated process from the outset, including important facets such as education, technology transfer, indigenous research, development, commercialization, and diffusion of technology and products. The integrated approach was a natural consequence of the effort of late-coming Japanese industry and the government to catch up with the already highly developed industries abroad. However, the world-wide trend after World War II for technological innovations to take place on an increasingly large scale, required an integrated approach. This favoured the break-through of Japanese industries, especially in the economic environment of high growth in the 1960s. Industrialization in the Meiji Era. technological development of Japanese industry in the post-war period, the characteristics of industrial research which supported development and new innovations in the 1980s are described. It is concluded that the industrial policy of the government in promoting a broad economic and social background for innovation and the activities of innovative enterprises in the private sector have been the two major activities which worked together to achieve the present state of Japanese industry.