The Science And Technology Resources Of Japan

A comparative analysis of research and development (R&D) efforts in Japan and the United States.

Excerpt from The Science and Technology Resources of Japan: A Comparison With the United States Much quantitative information is available on Ia pan's scientific research and experimental development. While most data for the United States and Japan are directly comparable, there are some definitional differ ences in particular statistical series; in such cases, em phasis is placed on each country' s trends rather than on absolute values. Appendix A, Technical Notes, details such differences and any adjustments that were made to the Japanese or US data to make them more com parable. Another comparative problem arises when Japanese expenditures are converted into US dollars. Yen-dollar market exchange rates have become rather volatile, re ecting dynamics that are increasingly independent of the relative purchasing power of the currencies. To avoid the distortions that arise froi'n market exchange rate con versions, purchasing power parities calculated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Develop ment are used to convert yen to dollars. Additionally, gnp implicit price deflators are used to convert current dollars into constant 1982 dollars in order to provide time series data that re ect real, rather than nominal, trends in expenditures. A brief discussion of purchasing power parities is included in appendix A. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works."

A comparative analysis of research and development (R&D) efforts in Japan and the United States.

This book explores the dynamic relationship between science, technology and Japanese society, examining how it has contributed to economic growth and national well-being. It presents a synthesis of recent debates by juxtaposing competing views about the role and direction of science, technology and medical care in Japan. Topics discussed include government policy, the private sector and community responses; computers and communication; the automobile industry, the aerospace industry and quality control; the environment; consumer electronics; medical care; and the role of gender. This is an ideal introductory text for students in the sociology of science and technology, the history and philosophy of science, and Japanese studies. Up-to-date research and case studies make this an invaluable resource for readers interested in the nature of science and technology in the twenty-first century.

Europe-Japan: Futures in Science, Technology and Democracy presents the combined European and Japanese thinking on the implications of scientific and technological developments for society and democracy. This book addresses the challenges and the advantages that science and technology brings to Europe and Japan and explores how the process and application of scientific discovery can be beneficial to all people in the world. This monograph is comprised of six chapters and begins with a discussion on the impact of science on civilization and democracy, with emphasis on the challenges and opportunities afforded by technological innovations. The implications of advances in biology and medicine for human rights are the subject of the next chapter, paying particular attention to the themes of freedom, ethics, and the role of communication and dialogue in society. This book also explores cooperation and competition in science and advanced technology before concluding with a chapter that describes the scientific and technological linkages between Europe and Japan. This text will be a valuable resource for policymakers, parliamentarians, scientists, and others who are concerned with the increasingly complex arena of science and politics.

Recognizing that a capacity to innovate and commercialize new high-technology products is increasingly a key for the economic growth in the environment of tighter environmental and resource constraints, governments around the world have taken active steps to strengthen their national innovation systems. These steps underscore the belief of these governments that the rising costs and risks associated with new potentially high-payoff technologies, their spillover or externality-generating effects and the growing global competition, require national R&D programs to support the innovations by new and existing high-technology firms within their borders. The National Research Council's Board on Science, Technology, and Economic Policy (STEP) has embarked on a study of selected foreign innovation programs in comparison with major U.S. programs. The "21st Century Innovation Systems for the United States and Japan: Lessons from a Decade of Change" symposium reviewed government programs and initiatives to support the development of small- and medium-sized enterprises, government-university- industry collaboration and consortia, and the impact of the intellectual property regime on innovation. This book brings together the papers presented at the conference and provides a historical context of the issues discussed at the symposium.