8Conclusion and Outcomes through SIP-adus to be Inherited

1) Looking Back upon SIP-adus History

Seigo Kuzumaki (SIP-adus Program Director, TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION)

1Introduction

The purpose of publishing these "Final Results Reports" is tosummarize the activities and results of the SIP-adus (Crossministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program
Automated Driving for Universal Services) and to serve as areference for future technological development and thepromotion of industry-academia-government collaboration
projects. For this purpose, it was concluded that not only
technical details but also management innovations should berecorded, which are summarized in this section. In addition,
many of the management innovations in the second phase of
SIP-adus were based on the experiences in the first phase, so thefirst phase of SIP-adus will also be reviewed.

2

Looking Back on the First Phase of
SIP-adus

SIP-adus started in June 2014, but before that a Program
Director (PD) was selected for each theme at the end of 2013,
with then-Senior Technical Executive Watanabe of Toyota
Motor Corporation being selected as the PD of the "AutomatedDriving Systems" program, and a preparatory committee wasestablished in early 2014 to launch the program. Thispreparatory committee consisted of the Steering Committee
and three working groups (WGs), which met up to seven times
a month. SIP-adus itself was an unprecedented experiment inwhich a PD from the private sector was the leader, and the
Cabinet Office coordinated and promoted ministry-agency
collaboration, and to be honest, the response from eachministry at the time was close to "jumping at shadows".
However, thanks to the leadership of PD Watanabe, a counselorlevel person attended every meeting.
On the other hand, a mirror meeting called a "Private Sector
Opinion Exchange Meeting" that corresponded to each group
was created and weekly meetings were held. Almost all motor
vehicle OEMs members participated in these meetings, and therules were that it was a meeting where "participants can freely
express opinions as an individual, not as a representative of acompany", anyone could participate, and no minutes of theproceedings were recorded. This free discussion played a largerole in fostering consensus as an industry. In this "Private Sector
Opinion Exchange Meeting", ideas for technology development
themes necessary for automated driving, such as dynamic map
and HMI (Human Machine Interface), were proposed and how
to proceed with them was discussed. These details were
proposed at the preparatory committee and approved forincorporation into the Research and Development Plan. These
measures proposed by the private sector started small, totaling
less than 100 million yen out of a total budget of approximately
2.5 billion yen in the first year.
After the official launch of the SIP "Automated Driving
Systems" program, we continued to meet seven times a month,and also had frequent individual meetings with each ministry
and drinking parties for communication with the private sector.
In 2015, PD Watanabe became ill and I (Kuzumaki) became
acting PD. In the fall of that year, I was given the opportunity to
explain the SIP "Automated Driving System" program at theCouncil for Science, Technology and Innovation, where thenPrime Minister Abe stated that large-scale FOTs (Field
Operational Tests) would be conducted in 2017, creating anenvironment conducive to obtaining support from various
ministries.
As we entered the third year of the project, it was consideredthat important themes proposed by the private sector, such as
dynamic map, should be strengthened as soon as possible, andwe worked on the revision and elimination of themes. Naturally,
there was some resistance from the current contractors at thetime, as this would mean changes to the original plan, but wemanaged to gain the understanding of the ministries and from
FY2016 we were able to consolidate the themes and position
dynamic map, cybersecurity, HMI, pedestrian accident
reduction, and Next Generation Transport as the five priority
issues, and allocate the budget to these areas as a priority. In
March 2016, former PD Watanabe passed away in the middle of
his appointment, and I (Kuzumaki) was officially appointed as
PD.

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One of the most notable achievements of the first phase of
SIP-adus was the establishment of Dynamic Map Platform Co.,
Ltd. Advanced automated driving systems require highdefinition 3D maps. For each motor vehicle OEM to have its
own maps would be a great burden for both the OEMs and themapping companies. On the other hand, for mapping
companies, the provision of map data is competitive area itself
and a fundamental business issue. We then discussed what are
the minimum "geographic features" necessary to realize
automated driving, and decided that the "mapping" of these"geographic features" would be a cooperative area. As a result,
Dynamic Map Platform Co., Ltd. was established in 2017,
funded by land surveying equipment manufacturers, map
vendors, land businesses, and motor vehicle OEMs. In 2017,
SIP-adus performed large-scale FOTs on the Tomei Expressway
using Dynamic Map, and as a result of that and the feedback
which was received, commercial distribution of maps for all of
the approximately 30,000 km of exclusive motorway
commenced in 2018. These maps were subsequently used in theworld's first Level 3 automated vehicle released by Honda, as
well as in vehicles equipped with Nissan and Toyota's advanced
safe driving support systems.

3

Looking Back on the Second Phase of
SIP-adus

3.1. Launch and Team Building
As the second phase of SIP-adus was commenced via a
supplementary budget, it overlapped with the first phase of SIPadus for one year in 2018. The importance of realizing
automated driving for the realization of Society 5.0 was
recognized, and it was adopted as one of the 12 themes in thesecond phase also. However, the Governing Board (hereafter,GB) strongly reminded us to "work on new issues, rather thanthe leftovers from the first phase," and the name "jidou unten"
for "automated driving" had also become common, so wechanged the Japanese name of the theme for the second phaseto "Jido unten".
A sense of mutual trust had been developed and the openness
among the private sector and ministries improved through theactivities of the first phase of SIP-adus, and it can be said thatthe launch of the second phase went smoothly. On the other
hand, since the first phase was more of a voluntary activity, therelationship with related organizations was weak. From thesecond phase, the participation of representatives from relatedorganizations in the Steering Committee and each working
group was requested, and in particular, experts from the Japan
Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) actively
participated in discussions with the working groups and project
participants, which led to a rapid strengthening of cooperation.
In the first phase, the GB pointed out that the involvement of

academia was weak because the project was industry-led, so we
asked a wide range of experts from universities and research
institutions to participate as members of WGs, contractors,
participants in experiments, and reviewers for evaluation. With
these changes, I believe that a full-fledged industry-academiagovernment collaboration system was established from thesecond phase.

3.2. Schedule, Budget and Project member Management
As described in Section 2, the R&D themes were revised andeliminated in the middle of the first phase, but this required a
lot of effort, including discussions to correct the course of the
project. Based on this experience, in the second phase, the fiveyear period was considered to be three years plus two years, andmilestones were set at the end of the third year to review thethemes and speed up the development process itself. In
addition, priority budget was allocated to themes with highpotential for practical application and commercialization as ofthe end of the third year.
Another thing we were careful to do was to make sure thatall parties involved were aware of the "objectives" of themeasures. Often, the achievement of goals replaces theobjectives. The objectives should come first, so if the outputs do
not match the objectives, then a change of course or
discontinuation of the project should be considered. For thisreason, we aimed to have a thorough discussion at the beginningof a measure about why we were going to perform that R&D.
Regarding budget management, in the first phase of SIPadus, the agreement of the ministries could sometimes not be
obtained, a management agency was not established at first, andthe Cabinet Office reallocated the budget to the ministries eachyear after the budget was decided, and the Cabinet Office also
handled the administrative work of soliciting proposals fromthe private sector. This management of individual fiscal years
was very inefficient. An agreement for NEDO to become themanagement agency from 2017 was reached, and changing thestyle to one in which multi-year contracts were concluded withproject participants and the budget for the next fiscal year was
fixed at the end of the fiscal year according to progress, etc. wasa significant advantage. This increased the amount of time
available for development and ensured flexibility indevelopment.
On the other hand, the management of "project members" isthe most difficult problem in an industry-academia-government
collaboration project. Excellent engineers are necessary to
produce good outputs, and naturally such personnel are
indispensable within each company. In order to get them toprovide people for a project, it is first necessary to have themanagement of each company understand the significance ofthe project. In addition, after the project is launched, theprogress and output of the project must be made visible to the

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engineers' supervisors, otherwise valuable human resources
may be removed in the middle of the project. The key to thesemeasures is "information dissemination". While it is of course
necessary for the PD to personally explain the project at various
opportunities, it is also essential to proactively share materials
so that those involved can explain the project within their own
companies.
In addition, the tenure of ministry officials was short and thehandover period was also short. As a countermeasure, themonthly meetings of the Working Groups and the Steering
Committee meeting held every few months were effective inmaintaining continuity and momentum.

3.3. How to Proceed with Technological Development in Cooperative Areas
Technological development was conducted in cooperative
areas in the SIP-adus program, but the scope of competitive
areas and cooperative areas was not neatly organized from the
beginning, and the boundary line between them often differed
for each company. Therefore, it was difficult to gain support
simply by saying, "this is a cooperative area so let’s perform thedevelopment together". On the premise that "cooperation isimportant, but competition is also important," it is necessary tounderstand the boundary line of each company that cannot becompromised for any reason, and to show the benefits ofcooperation and explain them to the relevant parties.
When development begins, it is easy to fall into a situation ofagreement in general but disagreement with each point. For
this reason, it is often more successful to not spend a long time
discussing concepts and frameworks, but rather to start smalland show concrete outputs in parallel and ask engineers to
express their opinions based on them. Engineers often give
opinions on concrete outputs precisely and from a technicalpoint of view, so an approach that takes their opinions into
account while repeatedly making improvements is effective.

3.4. Deciding Key Themes and Innovations
Deciding what should be the main theme was very difficultat the start of the second phase of SIP-adus. Having worked on
the construction and distribution of high definition 3D maps in
the first phase, it was natural to work on building the Dynamic
Road Traffic Environment Data Framework on top of that. In
light of this and in order to involve as many stakeholders as
possible, we decided to make use of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic
and Paralympic Games. Although it could not be realized in theend, the fact that we were able to work toward the goal ofholding a large-scale joint test-ride event with JAMA at theTokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games accelerated
development, including in competitive areas, and also led tosynchronization with the institutional development. Havingsuch a "site" was useful for promoting discussions on
standardization as well as for serving as a venue for information
dissemination.
On the other hand, ensuring safety is an urgent issue towards
the realization of automated driving and we felt the need towork on this issue. As a result of interviews, we learned thateach company had to repeat many public road tests to verify
safety, which had become a bottleneck in development, so we
decided to start development of a simulation that could evaluate
multiple sensors simultaneously. Although there were some
initial setbacks, once the parties involved were able to share animage of the output, results began to emerge and the chain
reaction that only an all-Japan organization can produce
accelerated
development
andultimatelyled
to1
commercialization.
To progress these and other important issues, Task Forces(TFs) were established for specific periods of time as needed todeepen the discussion. These TFs were useful because theybrought together the necessary experts in a flexible manner.

4

An Overall View

I will now describe a few other good points other than thosealready mentioned and some other points that I noticed.
One point is the collaboration with the Digital Agency(formerly the Cabinet Secretariat), which is compiling PublicPrivate ITS Initiative/Roadmaps. The Cabinet Office's researchand development under SIP-adus and the Digital Agency's
roadmaps worked in tandem, enabling synchronized progressin technological and institutional development. In particular,
the "Outline on improvement of legal system and environment
for Automated Driving System" issued by the then Cabinet
Secretariat in April 2018 led to the revision of the Road Traffic
Act and the Road Transport Vehicle Act, and the world's first
Level 3 automated driving vehicle, a product of the collaboration,
went on sale in Japan in March 2021.
Another point is that, at the beginning of the first phase of
SIP-adus, the parties concerned had a thorough discussion on"what is the purpose of developing automated driving?" andwere able to reach an agreement that the purpose was therealization of a safe means of transportation. This led to theestablishment of a firm policy of considering not only therealization of automated driving but also the evolution ofadvanced safe driving support systems as a set, which enabled
us to work consistently throughout the project.

1 In July 2020, BIPROGY Inc. established V-Drive Technologies, Inc. as the sole investor.The company entered into a business alliance with
Mitsubishi Precision Co., Ltd. and began selling DIVP® products in September of the same year.

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In addition, we received advice from the Evaluation Working
Group to strengthen the "fostering of public acceptance," andwe were able to conduct public relations activities from a longterm perspective, which led to "strengthening communication"and greatly contributed to maintaining the project's centripetal
force.
The final point is what I myself paid particular attention to,which was the "sense of speed". It took time to reach a consensus
in the development of technology in the cooperative area. If thebrakes are applied slightly on the planning side, it may cause"sag congestion" that completely stops at the rear. For thisreason, we tried to make decisions quickly and proceed in amanner that allowed us to quickly implement small measuresand revise them as needed. We also requested the creation of aschedule management chart, which is the basis of a project, andthat it be shared thoroughly among the parties involved.

5

Conclusion

My experience will not be all that helpful since each person’s
project management style is different and the surrounding
environment is also different, but I would be happy if just one ofthese examples is of assistance in future projects.

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8Conclusion and Outcomes through SIP-adus to be Inherited

2) SIP-adus and Mission Oriented STI Policy
Tateo Arimoto (National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies)

1

Introduction

Since its inception (2016), the author has participated in
the UN Forum to discuss the role of science and technology
in achieving the goals of the SDGs and to develop guidelines.
The author has also participated as a steering committee
member in the OECD's international comparative study on
mission-oriented innovation policies (MOIP).(1) Based onthese experiences and knowledge, this section will introduce
why the SIP-adus (Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation
Promotion Program (SIP) Automated Driving for Universal
Services) is attracting attention from the international STI
policy community, and explore lessons learned for future
mobility-related programs and for our country's science,technology and innovation (STI) policy in general.

2

The importance of setting out a vision:
Origin of SIP-adus

SIP-adus is a unique program that has involved politics,
industry, academia, government and local citizens for morethan 10 years, including preparation. Let us visit the origin of
the program. First, the first international workshop was held
in November 2014. The main theme was "Innovation ofAutomated Driving for Universal Services (SIP-adus) Mobility Bringing Everyone a Smile." The purpose of theworkshop was "An inclusive society where diverse people
actively participate in value creation in diverse communities
can achieve both individual happiness and economic
development. Automated driving technology integrated withsocial innovation should provide mobility that allows everyone
to fully demonstrate their abilities and enable the sustainable
development of society," a message that still has an impact
today. Second, at the start of the second phase of SIP-adus(2018), the name of the program was willfully changed from
"Automated Driving Systems" in the first phase to "AutomatedDriving for Universal Services." This was a strong statement of

the vision of not only developing technological systems, butalso utilizing them to solve social issues such as logistics/
mobility, and to develop a variety of services and businesses.
I think it is important that SIP-adus has been able to set
out such a clear vision early on, ahead of SDGs and Society
5.0, to guide its activities over the long term.

3

Importance of historical perspective:
STI policy is shifting to a social change/
mission-oriented approach

Here, we review the evolution of international STI
policies since the end of World War II. The objectives andinstitutional framework have changed to reflect political,
social, and economic demands, the state of development of
new technologies, and international conditions, such as
security, industrial competitiveness, and solutions to social
problems, and they can be roughly divided into four phases.(2)The first, second, and third periods are state-led large-scaletechnology development (since the 1950s), industrial
technology development (since the 1970s), and nationalinnovation system (since the 1980s), respectively. Fromaround 2010, the fourth period began while overlappingwith the third period, resulting in a shift to sociallytransformative/mission-oriented
innovation
policies(abbreviated as MOIP). SIP-adus can be regarded as aprogram in this fourth phase.
Last year, the OECD characterized STI policies in the
post-COVID-19 pandemic era as follows: "Economic
competitiveness has been the main rationale for countries'
STI support over the past 30 years. In the future, sustainability,
inclusiveness, resilience, and security will be key priorities in
addition to this."(4)(5) This reflects the recent rapid expansion
and qualitative changes in the relationship between the
global environment, society, economy, technology, and civic
life, including the climate crisis, SDGs, COVID-19 pandemic,
security crises, the 4th industrial revolution, and the digital
revolution. The UN's SDGs, the OECD's MOIP, the EU's
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Germany, UK, and other countries are all moving in the
direction indicated by the OECD.
Among this, changes have begun in Japanese STI policies.
In 2020, the Basic Act on Science and Technology was revisedfor the first time in 25 years, adding "creation of innovation" asan objective in addition to "improvement of the level of scienceand technology," and emphasizing the promotion of thehumanities and social sciences and collaboration with scienceand engineering. The Sixth STI Basic Plan (March 2021),
which was decided upon in response to this, sets forth different
social goals and values from those of the past, namely,transformation into a sustainable and resilient society andrealization of the diverse well-being of each individual. These
have been the vision of SIP-adus for the past 10 years since thebeginning.

4

cooperation with 13 countries including Japan, has beencollecting and analyzing MOIP efforts and good practices ineach country. In the process of this study, some of Japan's
initiatives are also included, and SIP-adus is attracting
attention as an important practical example.
Here are three frameworks of MOIP compiled by theOECD in collaboration with other countries.(1)(2)(3)(1)Definition of MOIP: "A coordinated combination (package)of research and innovation policy instruments to address
societal challenges."(2)Five principles of MOIP program design and implementation:(1) setting specific goals, (2) clarifying the time frame forrealization, (3) coordination among different policy areas(ministries, organizations), (4) utilization of various means(supply-side and demand-side, top-down and bottom-up),and (5) strengthening mechanisms and human resources tolink the path from technology development to demonstrationand market deployment.
(3)Formation of a three-tier structure for effective implementationof the MOIP program: (1) strategic direction, (2) policy
coordination, and (3) policy implementation. Strengthening
the human resources and systems capable of managing thismulti-layered structure.

Methodological framework for sociallytransformative/mission-oriented
innovation policies (MOIP): OECD
international collaborative study

In order to materialize MOIP, which is becoming thetrend of the times, it is necessary to review the entire
conventional STI system, from the setting of a vision and theprocess of policy formation, to the promotion system andmanagement, the financial support system, coordination andcollaboration across disciplines, organizations and industries,
public acceptance and business development, humanresource development and evaluation methods. This will
require a review of the entire conventional STI system.
Although various efforts are currently being made in various
countries, common methodologies and evaluation methods
have not yet been established. Therefore, the OECD, in(2) Policy Coordination(1) Strategic Direction

Governance andhierarchy of SIP-adus

5

SIP-adus practical activities and theOECD's MOIP framework

Here, we have organized the specific practical activities,
governance, and hierarchical structure of SIP-adus in linewith the OECD MOIP framework introduced above, andcreated a bird's eye view diagram. (Fig.1)(1) The following
explanation is based on this diagram.
(1) Layer 1: Strategic Direction Level(3) Policy implementation

CabinetPublic-Private ITS Initiative/Roadmaps
Secretariat•Strategic Headquarters for the Promotion of an Advanced Information and Telecommunications
Network Society / Strategic Council for the Promotion of Public-Private Data Utilization•Coordination of government-wide policies and activities (including SIP-adus) •Set targets and roadmaps•Monitoring and evaluation of activities and progress, reflection of results, and annual updating of roadmap•Guideline for various activities and initiatives of private companies, local governments, etc.
Establishment, monitoring, evaluation, and revision of goals and processes
SIP-adus
Ministries and agencies
Promotion of the
METI automotive industry
Cabinet Office CSTI PD: Program Director
ICT technology, radio frequency•Management by PD; policy Management agency NEDOMIC regulation, cooperation withcoordination and practice lead
local governments•Identification of cooperative areas and establishment of R&D tasks
Road administration,•Support for research and development in cooperative areas
MLIT
The SIP-adus program
FOTs•Conducting FOTs
Projects implemented
Road
Traffic
Act, FOTs
NPA•Coordination of research and development projects and FOTs
<Cooperative area>•Joint R&D proposals
Funding and various policy instruments•FOTs(laws and regulations, licensing, regional policies, etc.)
SIP-adus R&D and FOTs

Automotive
industry
ICT company

Diverse regions, conditions, and stakeholders

Universities

Local governments

Small and medium
enterprises/Start-ups

Local community

Insurance and financecompaniesNGO<Example>✓Dynamic Map✓Human MachineInterface✓Cybersecurity✓Pedestrian accident reduction✓Next Generation Transport✓Safety assurance technology invirtual environments✓Construction of architecture
related to geographic data
✓Fostering public acceptanceFig.1 Bird's eye view of SIP-adus governance and hierarchy

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In addition to reducing traffic accidents, reducing traffic
congestion, and improving safety, the socioeconomic issues
that SIP-adus aims to solve include drastic changes in theinternational competitive environment for mobility, andaddressing social, economic, lifestyle, and mobility difficulties
in local communities due to the declining birthrate, aging
population, and depopulation. Based on the above, the Cabinet
Secretariat has formulated Public-Private ITS Initiative/
Roadmaps, setting a clear timeframe for the realization of
automated driving systems and creating specific goals anditineraries. SIP-adus will share and collaborate with relatedorganizations to promote individual activities, and monitor
and analyze the progress to annually update and revise theactivities in strategic direction. Public-Private ITS Initiative/
Roadmaps are both the strategic direction and the driving
force that binds the various activities together.
(2) Layer 2: Policy Coordination Level
An important role of SIP-adus in policy coordination is
management to ensure that the Cabinet Office, Ministry of
Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Ministry of Internal
Affairs and Communications (MIC), Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), National
Police Agency (NPA), related companies, local governments,
etc. act in a coordinated and timely manner, combining theirrespective policy/strategic measures, such as research funding,legislation and regulation, licensing, technology, standards,
finance, and human resources to accelerate the developmentof automated driving systems, FOTs (Field Operational Tests),
and social implementation based on Public-Private ITS
Initiative/Roadmaps. Behind the scenes discussions andcoordination are also important for this purpose. The next
important role is to establish cooperative areas and competitive
areas among industry, academia, government, and local
communities, and to effectively promote various activities atthe policy implementation level as described in (3) below.
Furthermore, industry, academia, and government should
work together to strengthen the international intelligence
functionality, promote international cooperation andinternational standardization activities, and gain insight into
the drastically changing international competitiveenvironment.
The role and leadership of the program director tocomprehensively manage and coordinate these diverse
activities and organizations is extremely important.
(3) Layer 3: Policy Implementation Level
When a cooperative area is established in (2) and publicfunds are invested, related organizations can build a promotion
system that transcends organizational and disciplinary
boundaries, and collaborate on research and development,
FOTs, and activities to foster public acceptance. To promote
finances, it is possible to identify and meet diverse needs. In
addition to the SIP framework, local governments and various

industries are working on regional needs, natural and social
conditions, and other factors unique to each region in Japan.
Public-Private ITS Initiative/Roadmaps and SIP-adus are
guideposts for these activities and play a catalytic role insharing case studies and promoting projects.

6

Passing on SIP-adus legacy to the next
generation

SIP-adus ends this fiscal year (2022). New programs such as"RoAD to L4" and the next phase of SIP "Construction of smart
mobility platform" have begun to take over from thisachievement. Across the nation, examples of materializing
socially transformative innovation are beginning, including
achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, and the Vision for a
Digital Garden City Nation. SIP-adus is recognized around theworld as an important example of these prior practices. The
experience and knowledge gained over the past 10 years, aswell as the achievements and methods of governance systems,
cooperation and human networks, trust building, and fostering
public acceptance, are invaluable and should be passed on to
the next generation that creates as solid a narrative as possible.(6)We hope that SIP-adus will provide many suggestions for
future innovation policy and implementation at the national
and local levels, and for solving social issues and developing
business.

[References]
(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

The Design and Implementation of Mission-oriented Innovation
Policies-A New Systemic Policy Approach to Address Societal
Challenges, OECD Science, Technology and Industry, February 2021.
Strategic Proposal for "Promotion of Mission-oriented Science,
Technology and Innovation Policy and Research and Development
Funding in Japan," April 2022.
"Trends and Challenges in Mission-Oriented Science and Technology
Innovation Policies for Solving Social Issues," Research Report, March
2021, Center for Research and Development Strategy, Japan Scienceand Technology Agency.
Science & Technology Policy 2025-Enabling transitions through STI;
Concept and project proposal-a scoping note, Committee for S&T
Policy, OECD, October 2021.
Tateo Arimoto: OECD Science and Technology Policy - Transition to a
Sustainable Socio-Economy, Current Trends in Science andTechnology, Nikkan Kogyo, August 12, 2022.
Kazuo Shimizu, Supervisor: SIP-adus Program - How Innovation
Happened (tentative title), SIP-café, to be published in February 2023

[Contacts]

Program for Science, Technology and Innovation Policy, National Graduate
Institute for Policy Studies, 7-22-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-8677,
03-6439-6339 (main), Contact: Tateo Arimoto (t-arimoto@grips.ac.jp,
arimoto@jst.go.jp)

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8Conclusion and Outcomes through SIP-adus to be Inherited3) S IP-adus Achievement as Heritage and Next Step
RoAD to the L4
Toshio Yokoyama (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST))

14) Fostering public acceptance•P romoting accurate understanding and interest in automateddriving, etc. and encouraging behavioral changes througheasy-to-understand information dissemination from theuser's perspective, provision of opportunities for realistic
experiences, and organization of civil liability

Overview of RoAD to the L4

RoAD to the L4: The Project on Research, Development,
Demonstration and Deployment of Automated Driving toward
the Level 4 and its Enhanced Mobility Services was launched by
the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and theMinistry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism(MLIT) as a part of The Panel on Business Strategies for
Automated Driving. It was launched in fiscal 2021 in line withthe recommendations of the "Action Plan for Realizing
Automated Driving Version 5.0" to study the direction thatshould be taken toward the practical application of MaaS
(Mobility as a Service) in Japan.
(1) SignificanceThis project aims to create a sustainable mobility society
based on major trends in the automotive industry such as CASE
(Connected, Automated, Shared&Service, Electrification) andcarbon neutrality, and is expected to contribute to reducing theenvironmental burden, solving mobility issues, and increasing
the economic value of Japan by realizing and promoting
advanced mobility services such as Level 4.
(2) Goals and KPI (Key Performance Indicator)1) Realization and diffusion of unmanned automateddriving services• Realize automated driving services (Level 4) only by remotemonitoring in limited areas and vehicles by fiscal 2022.
• Expand to a variety of areas and vehicles by fiscal 2025,with a minimum of 40 locations2) Spread of new mobility services (MaaS) using IoT and AI• S ocial implementation of new mobility services using
IoT and AI in various regions of Japan to solve local
social issues and revitalize local communities
3) Securing and developing human resources• Secure human resources in a wide variety of fields,
including engineers in hardware and software, andpeople who can match technology with local issues.

(3) Implementation Policy
The project is not limited to technological development,
research and analysis, and FOTs (Field Operational Tests), butalso aims at social implementation of advanced mobility
services such as level 4, based on the significance, goals, etc., set
forth above.
(4) Status of efforts
RoAD to the L4 is a five-year project from fiscal 2021 to
fiscal 2025, promoting the establishment of use cases,
organization and evaluation of driving environments,
development of vehicles and systems, and study of sustainablebusiness models. For passenger transport, the project isstudying three major types of spaces: limited space (low speed),
limited space (medium speed), and mixed traffic space, while
for freight transport, the project is studying limited space on
expressways.

2

Specific Topics of Efforts

Theme 1: Efforts to realize automated driving services (level 4)
by only remote monitoring
Aiming to realize an unmanned automated driving mobility
service with only remote monitoring (level 4) using low-speed
automated vehicles at Eiheiji Mairodo in Eiheiji-cho, Fukui
Prefecture, by fiscal 2022, we are organizing a business model,
verifying tasks for remote monitors, and so on.
In addition, development of automated driving systems andvehicles for mass production for level 4 mobility services, as well as
remote control systems and communication systems for multiple

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vehicles, and technological verification are under way. (Fig.1, Fig.2)

operating conditions, etc.

Specifically, the project model is studied based on interviews
with major logistics operators, and risks are extracted byexamining the driving environment and operating conditions.
(Fig.4)

Fig.1: Mobility Service Vehicles in Eiheiji-cho

Fig.4 Truck for FOTs Equipped with Various Sensors

Fig.2 Remote Monitoring System in Eiheiji-cho

Theme 2: Initiatives to expand target area and vehicles as well as
improve business feasibility
Aiming to realize an unmanned, automated driving
mobility service on the Hitachi BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) in
Hitachi, Ibaraki, the development and safety assurance of an
automated driving system (vehicle, remote monitoring system,etc.) in accordance with the ODD (Operational Design
Domain) settings has been initiated. Local FOTs are scheduled
to be conducted by the end of fiscal 2022. In addition, a task
force consisting of various operators involved in unmanned
automated driving services has been established and has begun
studying ODD classification, etc., and plans to compile various
guidelines based on ODD classification during fiscal 2022.
(Fig.3)

Theme 4: Initiatives to link vehicle-to-vehicle and pedestrianto-vehicle and cooperative infrastructure to expand level 4 inmixed spaces
In order to realize cooperative automated driving services,
we have started to organize use cases in which cooperative
systems are required, and to study requirements on theinfrastructure side and vehicle side and data coordination
schemes required for cooperative systems.
In order to study the requirements for a cooperative systemthat provides safe mobility not only for level 4 users but also forvarious users such as pedestrians and bicycles, we have begun
performance tests for demonstration purposes in Kashiwanoha,
Chiba. (Fig.5)

Fig.5 Various Sensors Installed on the Infrastructure Side

Fig.3: Hitachi BRT FOTs

Theme 3: Initiatives to implement advanced trucks, including
platooning in expressways
With the aim of realizing automated driving trucks (level 4)
on expressways by around fiscal 2025, the project has begun
studying mainly business models, driving environments,

3

Future Initiatives

RoAD to the L4 aims to socially implement the results ofTheme 1 in society and launch automated driving services infiscal 2023 as a leading example of this project.

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For the other themes, the plan is to conduct necessary
studies and preparations during the first two years, start FOTs
in the third year, and then realize social implementation after
undergoing review for various criteria.
For these plans, we plan to make maximum use of theresults of the projects we have been working on in the second
phase of SIP-adus, such as the Tokyo waterfront area traffic
SPaT (Signal Phase and Timing) information provision FOTs,
the study of communication methods that realize cooperative
automated driving, and the study of public acceptance, with theaim of early social implementation of level 4 and otherautomated driving mobility services.

[Contacts]
Invited Researcher, Digital Architecture Research Center, National Institute ofAdvanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 2, 1-1-1 Umezono,
Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568, 029-861-5022 (main), Contact: Toshio Yokoyama(Toshio.yokoyama@aist.go.jp)

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8Conclusion and Outcomes through SIP-adus to be Inherited3) S IP-adus Achievement as Heritage and Next Step   
Next Phase of SIP
Kenji Ueki (Cabinet Office)1

the development of Level 3 automatic driving laws by therelevant ministries and the launch of the world's first Level 3
automated vehicle (Honda "Legend"). It is indicative of SIP’s
contributions to the social implementation of innovativetechnologies.
Therefore, industry, academia, and government continue tohave high expectations for SIP as a research and development
program for social implementation, leading to discussions forthe next phase of SIP starting in FY2023. In the interim
institutional evaluation of the second phase of SIP conducted in
FY2020, it was decided that the next phase of SIP would be
implemented after institutional improvements, such as theestablishment of a preparatory period for the formulation ofresearch and development plans.
In response to this, the "Sixth Science, Technology andInnovation Basic Plan" (Sixth Basic Plan, Cabinet decision on
March 26, 2021) states, "Candidate subjects for the next phaseof SIP will be decided toward the end of 2021 in order tostrengthen the headquarters function of the CSTI. Specifically,

Consideration of the next SIP

1.1. Background and Significance
The Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion
Program (SIP) was established by the Cabinet Office in FY2014
as a program to promote research and development from basic
research to social implementation in a comprehensive manner
through collaboration among, agencies, industry, academia,
and government, utilizing the headquarters function of theCouncil for Science, Technology and Innovation (hereinafterreferred to as CSTI).
The first phase of the five-year program was implemented
from FY2014 to FY2018, and the second phase from FY2018 to
FY2022.
For example, the high-precision 3D maps developed in thefirst phase of the Automated Driving System have beencommercialized, and are in use in all expressways. This led to

A society in which the diverse well-being of eachindividual can be realized [Science and Technology
A society with diverse social participation
Innovative Basic Plan, Chapter 1, 3. (1) 2)].
(a society with inclusiveness)
Bu
Data
Data
comilding s
mun martities
A society in which abundant
Inclusive community
A society with individualized
Integrated health carefood is provided sustainably
platform
education and work opportunities
system
Data
Data
L ea
styl rninge af andodter
le foinb
CO workiain chaVID ngats-19
Su upply
n
io
s
Vir
erat
p
o
t
u
al e
co
n
a
con
om
hum ics
Quantumy exn of robot
pan
nsio
a
sion
p
Ex
Advanced quantum technologies
Smartmobility
Data
Platform for ocean Data
platform
development
Safe and secure utilizationof AI and data
A society with increasing healthy life expectancy

Material

Data

Material process innovation

Smart disasterprevention network

Society with efficient
infrastructure management

Data
Resilient, safe and secure society

Cross-disciplinary
approach

Developing an integrated promotion system
for the realization of Society 5.0

Circular economy
system

Data

din
ga

Smart energy
management system

Buil

Smart infrastructure
management system

sm
art

isl

an
d

AI, Data, IoT

Achieving comprehensive security

Building a smart city

Sustainable cities and regions

Bio

Carbon neutral society(2050 target)

Data

Recycling-oriented society
Sustainable and resilient society that ensures the safety and securityof the people [Science and Technology Innovative Basic Plan,
Chapter 1, 3. (1) 1)].

Data coordination between domains(e.g., building smart cities, etc.)

Development of common indicators such as
wellbeing, carbon neutrality, etc.

Utilizing a convergence of knowledge forbuilding social systems

Fig.1: Candidate issues for the next SIP

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it was decided that [...] CSTI will identify social issues to beaddressed in the medium to long term, and will conduct
research and studies on technological development themes thatshould be addressed across ministries and agencies, while
utilizing "the convergence of knowledge."

1.2. Establishing Candidate Issues
In order to fully consider the issues to be addressed in thenext phase of SIP in advance, the Governing Board of CSTI has
identified 10 areas corresponding to the 10 social visions listed
in the Sixth Basic Plan as "Society 5.0" that Japan is aiming for,and five areas corresponding to the technologies that will form
the fundamental elements of these visions, including AI, data,
quantum computing, etc. Those 15 areas form the subject
candidates going forward. (Fig.1)
Meanwhile, efforts are underway at relevant ministries,
industry, and academia. The next phase of SIP will not be an
exhaustive effort, but will serve as a hub for collaboration
among industry, academia, and government, and will work on
the development of platform technologies for technologicalbottlenecks, on the construction of common systems, and on
the establishment of rules.
In addition, rather than working independently in eacharea, efforts will be made to work toward the realization ofSociety 5.0 through the development of an integrated promotion
system, data coordination among areas, the development ofcommon indicators related to cross-cutting social issues such as
wellbeing and carbon neutrality, and the utilization of theconvergence of knowledge for the formation of social systems.

1.3. 
Request for Informtion for Research subject(RFI)
From January to February 2022, we requested for
information of research theme ideas (RFI) for 15 areas, andreceived a total of 971 ideas from a wide range of parties inindustry, academia, and government, including 384 from
Table 1: RFI results for next SIP subject candidates
Primary domain
Sustainable food supply chain
Integrated health care system
Inclusive community platform
Learning and working style after COVID-19
Platform for ocean development
Smart energy management system
Circular economy system
Smart disaster prevention network
Smart infrastructure management system
Smart mobility platform
Expansion of human-cooperation robotics
Virtual economy expansion
Advanced quantum technologies
Safe and secure utilization of AI and data
Material process innovation
Total

Numberof cases Universities
68
98
16
16
80
67
77
191
217
43
17
12
26
21
22
971

36
45
9
6
11
35
29
56
103
13
9
5
9
8
10
384

Of those
National
research Businesses Organizations
institutes
18
12
2
7
30
16
1
6
0
0
7
3
54
10
5
12
16
4
12
31
5
59
71
5
41
57
16
4
24
2
2
6
0
2
5
0
10
7
0
4
8
1
9
2
1
235
292
60

universities, 235 from national research institutes, 292 fromprivate-sector companies, and 60 from sectoral associations.
Although the number and scope of information varied
depending on each area, ideas from a variety of universities,
national research institutes, and companies were gathered frommultiple perspectives. (Table 1)
Based on the results of the RFI, the overall direction andstructure of sub-subjects for each subject candidate wereclarified. The skills required of program director (PD)candidates who will lead the feasibility studies of each subject
candidate were also clarified.

1.4. Selection of PD Candidates and Feasibility Studies
Based on the results of the RFI, the skills required of PD
candidates were clarified, and an open call for PD candidates
for each subject candidate was conducted from April 1 to 22.
Based on the results of a documents review (primary screening)
and interviews (secondary screening), the Governing Board
selected 15 PD candidates on May 26.
In addition, for each subject candidate, task forces (TFs)
was established under the Governing Board, chaired by PD
candidates, and consisting of members from related academia,
industry, ministries, and research promoting companies.
Currently, feasibility studies (FS) are being conducted under
the TFs looking at the research themes provided in the RFI. The
aim is to select the research themes based on the impact andfeasibility from the technical and business aspects, to clarify thedetails and structure of the subjects, and to prepare draft researchand development plans by the end of 2022.
After deliberation by the governing board and publiccomments, the research and development plans will be decided,and based on the plans, an open call the PD will be conducted.
The next phase of SIP is scheduled to start in FY2023.

2

Feasibility study for the next phase of
SIP subject candidate "Formation ofsmart mobility platform"

2.1. Clarifying the Concepts and RFI Results of the
Subject Candidate
When the Governing Board established the subject
candidates at the end of the 2021 fiscal year, "Formation ofsmart mobility platform" was selected as a candidate because it
was reflective of a social vision. The concept was to "form aplatform that realizes safe, environmentally friendly, andcomprehensive mobility service by dynamically integratingmeans of transportation (small mobility, automated driving,
MaaS, drones, etc.), transportation environment hardware andsoftware from the perspective of people and goods on themove."

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Based on this, an RFI was conducted from January to
February 2022, and a total of 43 ideas were submitted. These
ranged in scope from evaluation indicators and QoL
improvement through mobility to elemental technologies andservices such as mobility-related data platform, traffic
environment simulators, multi-modal MaaS, dynamic
utilization of road space, and innovative sensing technologies.
(Fig.2) Of these, 13 were from universities, 4 were from national
institutes, 24 were from companies, and 2 were from professional
associations.
Valuation
index
Data
platform
Servicecooperation

QoL improvement through mobility (1 case)
Mobility-related data platform (8 cases)
Traffic environment simulator (3 cases)
Multimodal MaaS (5 cases)

Elemental
technologies
and services

Dynamic
utilization ofroad space(6 cases)

Advancedvehicleelemental
technologies(4 cases)

Development
of diversified
mobility(4 cases)

Platform
technologies

Innovative sensing technology (4 cases)

Development offlying carsand drones(5 cases)

Promotion oflogistics MaaS
(3 cases)Fig.2: Organization of RFI results

Based on the RFI results, the skills required of PD candidates
were defined as "knowledge, experience, and networks thatenable them to look at the entire mobility field, including roads,
vehicles, and logistics, and to develop an overall vision andarchitecture based on the functions and roles of mobility inaccordance with the characteristics of cities and regions."

2.2. Feasibility Study Structure
On May 26, 2022, the Governing Board selected Dr. Haruo
Ishida, Professor Emeritus of the University of Tsukuba andVisiting Professor of the Department of Transportation Systems
Engineering, Nihon University, as a PD candidate, and on June
10, a TF was established with Dr. Haruo Ishida as the chair.
The TF includes Noboru Koshizuka, Professor of theInterfaculty Initiative in Information Studies, University of Tokyo,
Fumihiko Nakamura, Professor of Graduate School of Frontier
Sciences, University of Tokyo, Satoshi Hiyama, Chairman of the
Subcommittee of the Road Traffic Section of the Connected
Committee, Next Generation Mobility Committee, Japan
Automobile Manufacturers Association, Shigetaka Murase,
President, WILLER Inc. Ltd. as Sub PD candidates. Other related

experts, ministries and agencies, and NEDO also join the TF, andthe group at the Cabinet Office in charge of automated driving
work as the secretariat of the TF. (Fig.3)

2.3. Status of Feasibility Study Considerations
On June 27, 2022, the TF prepared the FS Implementation
Policy ver. 1.0. In this policy, it was decided to "study thefollowing four sub-subjects based on the RFI results in order toaddress social issues such as carbon neutrality, safety (zerofatalities in traffic accidents), economic vitality and regional
revitalization, real and cyber integration, pursuit of wellbeing,
and collaboration with overseas countries".
(1) Redefining Mobility Services and Strategies for Social
Implementation(2) Data platoform supporting mobility services (Smart
Mobility Data Platform 2.0)
(3) Infrastructure Strategy to Support Mobility Services(4) Strategies for the Social Implementation of Mobility services
Through basic research and interviews with RFI applicants,
we plan to identify core research themes that should beconsidered individually for each subproject, and conduct atechnical feasibility study for each.
These studies are expected to be advanced efforts toward asmart mobility society that include coordinated and flexible
linkage with various means of transportation and transportation
environments other than automated driving, while taking
advantage of the results of SIP-adus (Cross-ministerial Strategic
Innovation Promotion Program (SIP) Automated Driving for
Universal Services).

[References]
(1) The Sixth Science, Technology and Innovation Basic Plan, approved by the
Cabinet https://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/kihonkeikaku/6honbun.pdf, (2021.03.26)(2) Determination of candidates for the program director (PD) of the next phase of SIP(chairperson of the task force to study each subject candidate)https://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/stmain/20220527sip_pd.html, (accessed 2022.05.27)[Contacts]
Secrertariat of Science, Technology and Innovation Policy
Cabinet Office, Government of Japan, Chuo Godo-chosha Bldg. 8, 1-6-1 Nagata-cho,
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8914, 03-6257-1336

TF
TF Chairperson(PD candidate)
Haruo Ishida

Experts (SPDcandidates)
NoboruKoshizuka,
Fumihiko
Nakamura,
Satoshi Hiyama,
Shigetaka Murase

Relevant ministries andagencies National Police
Agency Digital Agency
Ministry of Internal
Affairs andCommunications Ministryof Agriculture, Forestry
and Fisheries Ministry of
Economy, Trade andIndustry Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure, Transport
and Tourism

NEDO

Secretariat of automateddriving, SIP, Cabinet Office

Fig.3: Feasibility study structure276

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8Conclusion and Outcomes through SIP-adus to be Inherited4) Final Summary of SIP-adus Program— For the Next Generation of Engineers —Seigo Kuzumaki (SIP-adus Program Director, TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION)As the SIP-adus (Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovationindustry, academia, and government toward the goal of

Promotion Program; Automated Driving for Universal

realizing automated driving, and ultimately produced a variety

Services) comes to a close, I would like to summarize it in theof results.

form of a message to the next generation of engineers.

Young engineers are not expected to suddenly take on the

As you know, in a "project," people with the skills androle of promoting national projects, but as technology continues

abilities necessary to accomplish a mission temporarily gather

to develop and become more complex, there is no technologicaltogether across organizational boundaries, and when thedevelopment that can be completed solely within one's own

mission is over, the organization is disbanded and ceases todepartment. All research and development can be considered aexist. Strangers meet, begin by sharing an understanding of the"project." What is important is not to create barriers amongissues, form a team, decide on a goal, stimulate each otherourselves, but to tackle the challenges in front of us with ourthrough research and development, and become a force that iscolleagues with all our might. If you continue to do so, even if

more than the sum of their parts to bring the project to a

you fail a few times, when the next opportunity comes, you will

successful outcome. A "project" is a valuable opportunity tosurely get a lot of support and succeed.

grow both technically and as a person, and a great chance togain the wealth of human networks.

With this, the SIP-adus will be "disbanded," but we hopethat the next generation of engineers will boldly take up the

In the project under the name of SIP-adus, a sense ofsolidarity was gradually developed that transcended the barriers
between government ministries and agencies, and between

challenge of creating Japan’s next innovation.
Last but not least, I would like to reiterate my sincere thanks
to all of you who have supported the SIP-adus!

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