Innovation In Japan Research Articles

Accumulation of Knowledge by Strategic Public Procurement through Public-Private Partnerships for Service Innovation in Japan

<p>This study focuses on how governments strategically procure public service through Public–Private Partnership (PPP) – or more specifically, Private Finance Initiative (PFI) arrangements. PPP/PFI is recognised as a key element of demand-oriented innovation policy in the field of social infrastructure. However, owing to the considerable uncertainty of each project, the benefits of PPP/PFI are subject to debate, as is the role of public procurement in fostering public service innovation. The purpose of this study is to examine how governments strategically procure public services from construction firms in Japan. We conduct a comparative case study of two waste-to-energy PFI projects to clarify how governments improved the public procurement.</p><p>The results suggest the following: first, municipalities utilise a greater extent of other municipalities’ experience through external experts (i.e. Ministry of Environment, advisors, committee members and potential bidders) and standardised service criteria. Second, the codification of tacit knowledge, which both public and private entities have gained from previous projects, is important for securing a robust and routinised service level and reaping the benefits of the scale of repetition. Third, interaction with private companies in the bidding process with an appropriate manner would foster public service innovation. Governments' capability development through the use of internal and external resources can create space for private companies to provide better service by accumulating tacit knowledge within the projects.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Keywords: Public procurement; Public–Private Partnership; Private Finance Initiative; Service innovation; Construction firm; Waste-to-energy</p>

Impact of IoT on social innovation in Japan

Purpose Recently, the discussion on the impact of the Internet of Things (IoT) in theory and in practice is increasing. While some proponent envisage that the IoT will bring about positive radical change in the modern society, others argue that the IoT will introduce more disadvantages in the long run (mainly in terms of job losses) than advantages. The purpose of this paper is to arbitrate this controversy by examining the impact of IoT on the Japanese society. Design/methodology/approach While previous studies have largely been qualitative in nature, in this study, a quantitative approach was used. A multi-dimensional analysis was carried out and the statistical method known as the one-way analysis of variance was used to process the data obtained during this study. Findings The results show that indeed the IoT has a positive impact on the daily lives of the Japanese people, however the change it brings are mainly incremental change and not radical. Furthermore, rather than reducing job opportunities, it has created more opportunities and simplified operation processes. Research limitations/implications However, a limitation of this study is in its narrow scope. It is important to note that further studies on an international level or perhaps multi-national level is needed. Furthermore, there may be other underlining factors, such as culture, social, economic, geographical location, technology capacity, that may contribute to the impact of the IoT on daily life. Therefore, future research needs to verify if indeed this is the case. Originality/value This research successful arbitrates the argument about the impact of the IoT on the society by specifically showing that the advantages brought by the IoT out-ways its disadvantages. Furthermore, the uncertainty (fear of job losses) expressed by some experts was addressed in this study. The results obtained showed that the diffusion of the IoT has no correlation with job loss but rather supports improved working environment and creation of jobs.

A Study of the Creation of Elderly Employment Social Innovation in Japan

A Study of the Creation of Elderly Employment Social Innovation in Japan

The Rise of the People’s Republic of China and Its Competition Effects on Innovation in Japan

This paper empirically examines the “defensive innovation” hypothesis that firms with higher exposure to low-wage economy import competition intensively undertake more innovative activity by using a high quality Japanese firm-level panel dataset over the period 1994–2005. The novel feature of the analysis is the relation of firm-level variations of patent usage to import competition. The results suggest that intensified import competition from the People’s Republic of China has resulted in greater innovative activity by Japanese firms, consistent with the findings of European firms in Bloom et al. (2016). Moreover, such competition has also led to an increase in non-used patents.

Sales management: Learning and innovation in Japan

The purpose of this study was to examine ways to promote learning, based on four empirical studies of salespeople and sales departments in Japan. First, analyses of survey data of 192 real estate salespeople indicated that customer- and goal achievement-oriented sales beliefs enhanced experiential learning at work. Second, analyses of data of 193 sales departments indicated that customer orientation in sales departments promotes innovation by facilitating task conflict and preventing process conflict. Third, analyses of survey research of 199 sales departments indicated that behavior-based and knowledge-based management control systems are effective at promoting learning and innovation. Finally, a case study of Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim (NBI) revealed several ways to facilitate learning using a behavior-based sales management control system. Theoretical implications for sales management systems were examined.

The Reorganization of Japan's Innovation System: Toward New Processes of Ideation and Invention

This panel addresses ongoing strategic challenges in Japan in turning inward-focused, hierarchical, large companies into nimble innovators and renewed R&D powerhouses. While this is a critical task...

Older Consumers' Adoption of Innovation in Japan: The Mediating Role of Cognitive Age

ABSTRACTThis study proposes a new model integrating the three constructs of Cognitive Age (CA), Technological Anxiety (TA), and Global Consumer Innovativeness (GCI) to test their impact on actual adoption of innovative high-tech products by Japanese consumers. A measurement model is first validated and a structural equations model is fitted to a large representative sample of senior consumers in Japan. CA is found to be significantly positively related to TA and negatively related to GCI. With TA negatively impacting GCI, GCI is found to be positively related to number of adopted and used high-tech innovations. In addition, CA is found to play a mediating role on the relationship between consumer demographic background variables and the constructs of TA and GCI. A two-age group analysis reveals a moderation effect of actual age on the relationship between CA and GCI. Theoretical contributions to the role of the three constructs of the model to help predict adoption of innovations are discussed as well as managerial recommendations in relation to statistically significant background variables.

“Economic Mathematics” Innovation in Japan

A book entitled ‘University Students who Cannot Calculate Fractions’ published at the end of 1990s in Japan (edited by Okabe k. et. al, 1999) aimed to disclose the mathematical level of Japanese University Students by testing them with primary and secondary school level math quizzes. The 20% of them could not even solve fraction questions that children learn at primary school. This fact is indeed problematic for them to study Economics in higher education. Our study thus investigated how Japanese mathematics education has improved after 20 years of this book publication by testing university students with the same math questions used in the previous survey. The results were indifferent from the previous ones proving that the mathematics education in Japan was not innovated in these 20 years. Our paper explored what kinds of mathematical knowledge would disturb the current Japnese university students for understanding fundamental subjects such as Macro and Micro Economics. The results clarified the mathematical components they felt difficulty for understanding as well as their feelings of dislike for math. They are in the category of basic mathematical knowledge used in Economics, meaning that the education of this field is not sufficient and adequate for Japanese university students. This category is characteristic for Japanese university`s curriculum,called Economic Mathematics. Our paper pointed out that the education of mathematical knowledge for understanding Economics including curriculums must be drastically developed. By doing so, students who do not even understand primary level fractions should be able to adequately understand Economics in higher education. As a result, our original textbook based upon the research outcomes will be created.

Analysis of Linkages between Environmental Policy Instruments and Innovation: A Case Study of End-of-Life Vehicles Technologies in Japan

<p>Environmental policies are designed to deal with externalities either by internalizing environmental costs or imposing specific standards for environmental pollution. This study aims to examine the impact of environmental regulations related to End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) on innovation in Japan. We determined whether there is any statistical difference in patent activity comparing the periods before and after the regulations were enacted. In order to control for exogenous factors such as business cycles, we also analyzed the ratios of ELV and total environmental patents during the same periods. Results showed that environmental regulations drive innovations and the number of ELV-related patents were larger even after controlling for such exogenous factors. We concluded that environmental policy for ELV in Japan was effective in inducing innovation. However, we also found that the weakness in these types of command and control policy is the lack of incentives for further innovation.</p>

機械技術者による日本のパラダイムシフトとイノベーション(開発を成功に導くモデルベースシステムズエンジニアリング―その普及に向けて―)

機械技術者による日本のパラダイムシフトとイノベーション(<特集>開発を成功に導くモデルベースシステムズエンジニアリング―その普及に向けて―)

日本の科学技術イノベーション政策について

日本の科学技術イノベーション政策について

Environmental Regulations Become Restriction or a Cause for Innovation – A Case Study of Toyota Prius and Nissan Leaf

This paper investigates whether environmental regulations become obstacles or a cause for innovation in Japan by examining some empirical evidences on how environmental regulations affect the course and character of technological change through innovative activities of the firms in Japan. Available literature shows that it is rather very difficult to measure the stringency of environmental regulations and its effects on subsequent innovations at aggregate levels. As a result, this study adopted detailed case studies to overcome the problems of previous empirical studies due to their aggregate nature and to understand well the nature of the relationship between environmental regulations and innovation. In this paper, we picked up the cases of Toyota Prius and Nissan Leaf to study and examine the impacts of environmental regulations on innovation.

International market competitiveness of Japanese green innovation technologies: an analysis using patent data

International market competitiveness of Japanese environmental technologies does not seem to reflect the level of technological innovation. This study investigates whether there actually is a gap between the international market competitiveness and the strength of green technological innovation in Japan. An analysis of patent data of 2006 and 2012 from the Japan Patent Office on green technologies of Japan, Europe, the USA, Korea, and China shows that both in 2006 and 2012, the overall international market competitiveness of Japanese green technologies was low in relation to the pace of technological innovation in Japan. In contrast, the international market competitiveness of European and US green technologies was higher overall in relation to the pace of innovation in these countries. This study also found that the gap between international market competitiveness and technological innovation in Japanese green technologies narrowed between 2006 and 2012, due to a significant decline in Japanese technological innovation.

Инновационный успех Японии: миф или реальность?

This article describes prerequisites and reasons for successful innovation in Japan. The main directions that promote innovative development are determined. E.g.: research and development, creation of technology parks and technopolises, provision of proper working conditions,compe tent management. Indicators confirm the results. There is a forecast of development prospects of the innovative technologies in the Land of the Rising Sun.

技術史からみた戦後日本のイノベーションの展開

技術史からみた戦後日本のイノベーションの展開

The evolution of public service innovation in Japan and ramifications of the reform

The evolution of public service innovation in Japan and ramifications of the reform

Plant Factory Engineering Strategy of Japanese Manufacturer and Agri-Business Innovation

These days, some manufacturing enterprises which are forced to diversify management enter Agri- Business and plant factory business, make an Innovation utilizing high research and development ability and enough capital. As Agri-Business Innovation in Japan, this study examinedNK Agri, a subsidiary company of Noritsu Koki, which is a motion picture producer and machinery maker, based on Industrial Cluster Theory and Diamond Model by Michael E. Porter. The important points to enter Agri-Business of manufacturing enterprises were summed up as below. 1) New coming manufacture enterprises can form Industrial Cluster with farmhouse and foods makers, and enhance productivity and competitiveness. 2) New coming manufacture enterprises can enhance productive efficiency by collaborating with orthodox farmhouses as important partners. 3) Re- search institutions such as universities and local government should support for forming and development of Agri Industrial Cluster by manufacture enterprises. Agri Industrial Cluster by manufacture enterprises can improve local economy, so local government should prepare for the system to expand support as a policy.

Harness academic innovation in Japan for global drug R&amp;D

Harness academic innovation in Japan for global drug R&amp;D

On the spillovers between patents and innovation in Japan

This article investigates the mean and variance spillovers between patent applications and total factor productivity (TFP) in Japan. First, we find a stationary cointegrating relationship between patent applications and TFP in the long run. This result suggests an increase in patent applications directly leads to an increase in innovation. Second, we also obtain evidence of significant bidirectional causality in mean and variance between patent applications and TFP. These finding indicates that there exists a bidirectional mean and volatility spillover effects between patents and innovations in the Japanese context. The results of our investigation can assist policymakers in taking decisions regarding the regulation of Japan’s patenting system.

Nuclear Regulation Innovation in Japan after Fukushima Accident―Resolved and expected to be resolved problems

Nuclear Regulation Innovation in Japan after Fukushima Accident―Resolved and expected to be resolved problems