Figure 1-2-2-11 Estimated effects of ICT industry's global expansion

(Source) MIC "Research Survey on ICT Industry's Global Strategy" (2013)

cations service, telecommunications equipment and upper layers building on models of foreign forerunners. As a result, we found that major Japanese enterprises in these layers have the potential to achieve 17.5 trillion yen in overseas sales, equivalent to three-quarters of their present domestic sales (in 2012), if they implement full-fledged global expansion (Figure 1-2-2-11).

This estimate, though excluding effects of the above-mentioned infrastructure exports in (5), indicates a great potential market resulting from these major Japanese enterprises’ global expansion.

### 3. Broadcasting industry's global expansion and next-generation broadcasting initiative

## (1) Broadcasting industry's global expansion

Japanese broadcasters are exploring various overseas expansion approaches in a bid to shift away from their heavy dependence on the domestic market.

Models for their overseas expansion are divided into two groups for an analysis, based on specific cases (Figure 1-2-3-1). One group represents a horizontal expansion through content-based multimedia development and alliances with other categories of enterprises to take advantage of broadcast content's influences for expanding business bases and value chains. The other represents enhancing involvement in broadcasting services in foreign countries through measures ranging from outright program sales to cooperation in producing programs, involvement in programming rights through securing programs and channels, and business alliances for participation in corporate management.

## (2) MIC initiatives for overseas expansion of broadcast content sales

### a. Discussions at panel on how to promote broadcast content sales

In November 2012, the MIC created a panel on how to promote broadcast content sales to consider challenges for (1) enhancing rights handling, (2) securing overseas opportunities for providing content, and (3) promoting the exploration of overseas and other new markets. A factor behind the slow overseas expansion of broadcast content is that the handling of rights fails to make progress in overseas markets that are smaller than the domestic market. Therefore, Japan should promote both “enhancing the efficiency and speed of the handling of rights” and “expanding overseas markets.”

### b. Economic spillover effects of global expansion of broadcast content sales

In his (second) speech on Japan’s growth strategy in May 2013, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe came up with a policy of building on the Cool Japan initiative to promote “all Japan” efforts for manufacturing and services industries’ overseas expansion. In this respect, the prime minister cited a goal of tripling broadcast content-related overseas sales in five years (by 2018) and indicated that the expansion’s economic effects including those for peripheral industries would total 400 billion yen.

## (3) Initiatives for diffusing next-generation broadcasting services (including 4K/8K initiatives)

### a. 4K/8K (super hi-vision) initiatives and their significance

As the digitalization of broadcasting has been completed with advanced infrastructure developed for high-definition broadcasting and interactive services, the time has come to utilize the infrastructure for diffusing new digital broadcasting services. Meanwhile, Japan's public and private sectors have launched initiatives to realize next-generation broadcasting using 4K and 8K ultrahigh-definition technology to enhance the competitiveness of Japan's broadcasting industry. The definition of 4K means there are four times as many pixels than the present hi-vision (2K) level (about 2 million pixels). 8K indicates 16 times as many pixels.

The 4K/8K ultrahigh-definition technology can be expected to be used not only for televisions and broadcast