## (6) Construction and application of test beds to accelerate the public implementation of research findings

NICT constructed the Japan Gigabit Network (JGN), an R&D test bed network, in FY 1999. The test bed has been made available to a wide range of domestic and overseas research institutes and has helped advance research and development into cutting-edge network technologies and testing of many applications. NICT started operating StarBED, a large-scale general-purpose Internet simulator in FY 2002. And in FY 2011, NICT began providing StarBED $ ^{3} $ , a large-scale emulation platform, as a test bed for verifying many kinds of technology.

### 3. Assistance for creating innovation using competitive funding

## (1) Strategic Information and Communications R&D Promotion Programme (SCOPE)

The Strategic Information and Communications R&D Promotion Programme (SCOPE) is a competitive funding program for research and development projects in the ICT field. Under SCOPE, research and development themes with originality and novelty are undertaken in order to attain the strategic, priority research and development targets set by MIC. The objectives of SCOPE are to create innovation in ICT, boost the R&D skills of researchers and research institutions, and create world-leading intellectual property.

## (2) ICT Innovation Creation Challenge Program

The ICT Innovation Creation Challenge Program (I-Challenge!) was launched in FY 2014 to stimulate made-in-Japan innovation in the ICT field. I-Challenge!, which accepts submissions anytime, encourages universities and venture businesses to commercialize technologies and assists them in creating new business domains. The Program pushes for unification of research and development support and venture incubation support, making use of the private sector’s commercialization expertise and know-how.

## (3) Innovation Program

MIC has instituted the Innovation Program, which aims to discover creative talent in the ICT field where existing value and accepted practices do not necessary apply. The Program provides assistance to creative people who are taking on risky challenges with great potential in order to produce destructive, global-scale value in the ICT field. Under the Program, challenges with ambitious targets, using revolutionary approaches and productive failures that clarify the path to eventual success, are highly regarded.

### 4. Research and development programs promoting international collaborations in the ICT field

## (1) Strategic international joint research in cooperation with foreign governments

MIC, in partnership with the European Commission, has been providing funding for joint research proposals from universities, private corporations, and other research institutes in Japan and Europe since FY 2012, based on an agreement from the May 2012 Japan-Europe Ministerial Meeting. In FY 2015, MIC solicited proposals for joint Japan-European research in two new areas: 5G and ICT robotics.

## (2) Promoting international exchanges between researchers

NICT runs the International Exchange Program, which facilitates exchanges between researchers in different countries working in advanced communications and broadcasting fields. The Program promotes the sharing of the latest technology and research information, elevating technology levels, and developing human resources as well as contributes to furthering research and development and international cooperation.

### 5. Contributions to more resilient public infrastructure

MIC is pushing research and development and international standardization in the area of highly reliable, low-power communications technology that will collect and transmit data on seismic strains, vibrations, and other phenomena measured with sensors in order to make it possible to manage and maintain public infrastructure efficiently and effectively using sensors and other forms of ICT.

### 6. Other research and development programs

## (1) Space communications technologies

MIC is conducting R&D into next-generation satellite communications technology for marine resource surveys as well as developing a next-term Engineering test satellite capable of large-capacity transmissions. NICT is running R&D programs looking at advancing satellite remote sensing, in addition to R&D into optical communications technologies.

## (2) Future base ICT technologies

MIC and NICT are researching and developing new ultra-high-frequency ICT technologies. NICT is researching and developing quantum communications technology based on quantum cryptography and quantum signal processing as well as nano ICT technology and base electromagnetic sensing technology.