Business Plan FY2018
1. Recent situations and new direction
The Institute for Future Engineering (IFENG) believes that, after its 47-year activities, it
is now time to conceive a new step to anticipate the rapid changes of the world,
IFENG achieved a business surplus in the fiscal 2013 as a result of management
reconstruction efforts following the organizational reform in the fiscal 2011, including
restructuring of the activities and enhancement in the research management after its
qualification as a public-interest corporation in 2013. IFENG's position in the GGTTI
think tank ranking in the science and technology area has risen to the fourth place in 2017,
up from the eighth in 2012-2013, the sixth in 2014, and the fifth in 2015-16.
This enabled IFENG, from the fiscal 2015 on, to shift its target from management issues
back to the mission proper to a think tank and its enhancement. Activities in the fiscal
2018 will be in line with this, along with continuation of the Independent Research
programs started in the fiscal 2017 including expansion of research teams and a programfor strengthening the manpower and training of the recently recruited young researchers.
IFENG's history and feature have been described as follows:
IFENG, one of the first-generation think tanks in Japan, was created in the period when
the country was facing new and universal problems of environmental pollution and limits
in resources and energy. "Soft science", or science of political decision making, wasproposed 45 years ago as a field to study complex and interdisciplinary problems
concerning social and political issues, involving interactions of humans, society, natureand technology. The activities of IFENG, a nonprofit organization, have been focusedexactly on soft science, particularly on the fields of science and technology as well as
research and development, which was a unique feature in Japan.
The institute has thus developed original methodologies for analysis of social trends,identification of essential issues in society, and development of comprehensive strategy
to settle them, as well as conception, implementation and evaluation of relevant policies.
1These methodologies have proven to be effective in application to policy issues andsocioeconomic problems.
The purpose of the Institute is summarized as follows:
Our research activities start from gaining insights into the developing tendency of scienceand technology and into presages of socioeconomic changes in order to predict a likely
future and its inherent problems. The goal is to conceive, design and propose measures
for solving those problems by analyzing relevant data with "engineering" methodologies,
thus contributing to advances in science and technology as well as socioeconomic
development at large. Subjects addressed include desirable social systems, policy making,identification of long-term and basic tasks along with development of systems to address
them, preferable product development and service systems, research and development
systems, and implementation of technologies,
More specifically, our research tasks and ancillary works are divided into the following
units: Research Center for Policy Analysis, Research Center for Information andTelecommunication, Research Center for Social Issues, Programs Related to the Great
East Japan Earthquake, and Research Center for Lifence in 22nd Century. Studies areperformed by platforms formed by internal researchers, which are networked withexternal experts. Results are released in forms sharable with the general public as far aspossible, for example through social media or on websites, in addition to conferences,
lectures and publications. The external networks include Japan Society for Future
Research, Japan Society for Research Policy and Innovation Management, and Society
for Integrative Medicine Japan, which are closely related to our activities, as well as anumber of domestic and overseas specialist groups that have been formed in the courseof our technology forecast and other activities.
Specific activities are classified into three categories: Commissioned Investigations,Independent Investigations, and Interactive Research. Within each category, balance iscontrolled between Nonprofit Activities for the general public and For-Profit Activities
for specific parties.
2Based on our history and general guidelines for activities described above, IFENG willcontinue and promote the goals for FY2018. Particularly, the Interactive Research,relatively inactive so far, will be enhanced in order to "create wisdom for society".
Furthermore, nonprofit Independent Investigations will be expanded in FY2018. We are
well aware that the definition of what is "for" society depends on the view on social justice.
We are starting from building the fundament for developing wisdom based on IFENG'smission and the social responsibility of our research staff. For this purpose, we intend tobuild up a competent body with a variety of expertise and thoroughgoing thought, thus
consolidating our knowledge base and diversify our activities, particularly throughfostering recently recruited personnel.

2. Business plans for individual categories(1) Nonprofit Commissioned Investigations (N1)IFENG performs investigations commissioned by governmental agencies, localauthorities, foundations and other organizations. The results are to be shared with thegeneral public including the originators.
"Commission" in this category, usually obtained through open application, may mean
either contract or funding. While a contracted investigation is carried out in accordancewith the specifications by the commissioning party defining the general framework of theproject as well as expected results, a funded investigation allows more discretion of theapplicant.
Investigation projects are financed either by the commissioning parties or foundations:contracted investigations are compensated for principally by government agencies, localauthorities, research institutions, or incorporated foundations, while funded investigations
rely on foundations for research promotion.
Activities in think tanks require a great variety of detailed leading-edge knowledge in
different disciplines. No single organization could cover this entirely with its internal
3manpower even for a project fit for its background. We adopt, therefore, a platformnetwork system where our staff works on the platform for the core activities in a project
while peripheral knowledge is provided by networked teams of external specialists. Even
non-skilled works such as questionnaire counting may be outsourced to specialized
contractors on economic ground.
(2) Nonprofit Independent Investigations (N2)IFENG also performs self-financed Independent Investigations on subjects attracting
much public attention. The results are open to public. The Special Earthquake-Related
Project started in FY2011 belongs to this category. Here the process of emergence andrecognition of the social impacts of the quake was compared with that of social response
in terms of time series, in order to explore appropriate social systems requisite for shortand mid-term response measures.
This category has been enhanced from FY2016 on: in addition to original works by ourstaff, a program for training young researchers started in that year, along with efforts tosecure financial resources for the program. Two seminars were opened in FY2017:"Thinking Methodology" for enhancement of the basic techniques for think tank activities,
and "Concept of Next-Generation Artificial Intelligence" as an embodiment of "creationof wisdom for society". Similar activities will be continued or expanded in FY2018.

(3) Nonprofit Interactive Research (N3)Interactive Research aims at sharing the results with society and, for new problems
suggested by the results, collaborating with the general public for deepening insights
into them or finding solutions through iterative dialogues.
Activities in this category are thus characterized by involvement of the general public in
the process towards better understanding of problems by sharing research results andtasks suggested by them, along with continued dialogues, on open platforms such as
digital space, public meetings or printed publications. The "Forum" and "Insight"
4sections in our website typically provide such opportunities for dialogue. While theForum is intended for discussion with the public, the Insight is the channel forpresenting IFENG's research results as questions to society and inviting discussions byregistered external specialists. The progress of discussions is made accessible to thepublic by timely disclosure on the website. The "Publication" section of the site
provides IFENG's publications in the past as the basis for discussion, complemented bypublic lectures and printed publications.
Following the enhancement plan started in FY2015, this category will further be
expanded to a more substantial part of the institute this year, for example bycombination with other Nonprofit Investigation projects, along with securing financial
resources and establishing appropriate organizational measures.
(4) For-Profit Commissioned Investigations (F1)This category consists of investigations performed for a specific party, mostly businesscompanies and other organizations that order the investigations. Projects assigned
through open application may also be categorized here if the outcome is unlikely to beshared publicly.
(5) For-Profit Independent Investigations (F2)
An example of Independent Investigations performed for specific parties is consulting
service based on IFENG's knowledge and findings obtained in the past think tankactivities.
(6) For-Profit Interactive Research (F3)This category includes lectures, training courses and publications based on our research
results for specific target groups.

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