## Mutually Complementary Programs for Improvement of Innovation Systems

## Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster Recovery Assistance Provided Through the Regional Innovation Strategy Support Program

In accordance with the Basic Guidelines for Reconstruction in response to the Great East Japan Earthquake (established on July 29, 2011, by the Reconstruction Headquarters in response to the Great East Japan Earthquake), assistance is provided to disaster-stricken areas for the realization of proactive and excellent visions for the creation of regional innovations in those areas so that they can recover smoothly from the disaster caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, create new industries and jobs, and also achieve sustainable growth of the region and revitalization of local communities in the future.

* This assistance is part of the Regional Innovation Strategy Support Program

Support for the recruitment of researchers who will play key roles in realizing regional innovation projects to disaster-stricken areas and be responsible for the next generation

Provision of necessary resources to disaster-stricken areas through the establishment of a knowledge network and the integration of regional strengths through the collaboration of industry, academia, government and the financial sector

## Support for the establishment of locally-initiated,

science-and-technology-driven regional development models for the reconstruction of disaster-stricken areas using the Regional Innovation Strategy Support Program

Support for the development of human resource training programs for fostering researchers who will play key roles in realizing regional innovation projects and be responsible for the next generation

Support for sharing of equipment and facilities through the improvement of research equipment in disaster-stricken areas and provision of technical assistance

Support for regional-innovation projects for the creation of breakthrough technologies that contribute to the regeneration of Japan

Realization of Tohoku-originated science and technology and innovation

Support for commercialization of breakthrough technologies in order to contribute to the actualization of regional development models and visions

Other Programs Aimed to Developing Innovation Systems

Program for Promoting Self-Sustaining Management of Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration in Universities

## Overview

The program aims to establish an environment that enables universities to continuously carry out industry-academia-government collaboration activities so that the results of research conducted by universities can be effectively utilized for the betterment of society. It provides support to cover the costs of personnel and the expenses of activities for conducting international industry-academia-government collaboration activities, strengthening unique industry-academia-government collaboration activities and allocating industry-academia-government collaboration coordinators.

## Program for Realization of Innovation Center for Fusion of Advanced Technology

## Overview

The program promotes research activities ranging from fundamental research to achievement-oriented R&D in a comprehensive manner to achieve a system for the realization of innovations based on technology "seeds" possessed by universities in the advanced interdisciplinary research areas $ ^{*} $ that are deemed especially important for the creation of innovations. To that end, the program provides support for the establishment of centers for industry-academia joint research and development for the creation of results (innovations) with great socioeconomic impact, while promoting the development of researchers and engineers who will play pivotal roles in the future. This will be accomplished by utilizing the matching fund systems of various companies.

$ ^{*} $ Interdisciplinary research areas --- New academic fields that extend over multiple disciplinary areas

## Towards the Creation of Future Regional Innovations

MEXT is taking various approaches to utilize the results of research conducted by universities and other research institutions for the purpose of revitalizing local communities. Through the Regional Innovation Strategy Support Program, MEXT provides support for the establishment of systems that will contribute to the sustainable creation of regional innovations and realize excellent regional visions through the collaboration of Industry-Government-Academia plus the financial sector.

To ensure the sustainable creation of regional innovations, MEXT links its programs with various policies and programs of other relevant ministries in order to produce synergetic effects from those support programs.