Japan has fallen behind Europe, the US and China in its publication of scientific articles and, therefore, its research output. Due to a stagnant science budget, R&D institutions are facing deficits and having difficulties in procuring talent. Although there was an 80% increase in global scientific research paper output between 2005 and 2010, Japan’s share of research output increased only 14%, while China’s share of research output during the same period of time was double that of Japan’s (see IBO 4/15/2017). Research in certain fields, such as mathematics and astronomy, have been growing in Japan, but applied research fields, such as computer and material science, have remained stagnant. This may be due to the shortage of Japanese researchers working internationally, as well as the lack of collaborative research with international partners. Currently, Japan’s coauthorship rate is 30%, approximately half of Britain and France.

Since 2000, Japan’s science budget has remained mostly flat. The country’s “operational expense grants,” which are “funds to support national universities and national research and development agencies intended to cover the fundamental expenses involved in education and research,” can be used by universities as they see fit; however, these grants have decreased by ¥100 billion ($909.5 million), roughly 10%, over the last decade, with some research institutions receiving just a few hundred thousand yen each year. These funds usually cover equipment and maintenance costs at research facilities, but without the funds, scientists are forced to close their labs and find research projects elsewhere.

To remedy this, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced last month plans to increase the country’s science and technology budget in annual accretions to total ¥4.4 trillion ($40.0 billion) by 2020, a ¥900 billion ($8.2 billion), or 25.7%, increase from the current budget. Universities and research institutions are encouraged to look for funding from non-government sources, such as corporate and private investments, in order to lessen their dependence on federal funding. The Japanese government is also establishing new guidelines to increase collaboration between academic research institutions and industry to draw in public funding, which it hopes to increase to ¥300 billion ($2.4 billion) in the next decade.

Source: The Japan News