### 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 FY2012, based on an agreement at the Japan-Europe Ministerial Meeting in May 2012. In FY2016, joint research was conducted on four themes (big data, optical communications, 5G, and ICT robotics). The country coverage was expanded in FY2016 and joint research was newly conducted together with the United States on one theme (smart cities).

## (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

## (1) Strengthening the Disaster Resilience of Communications and Broadcast Infrastructure

Since FY2014, MIC and NICT have engaged in R&D on the strengthening of resilient disaster prevention and mitigation functions (sharing and utilization of real-time disaster information), which is one of the research themes of the Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP). MIC has endeavored to develop technologies to forecast heavy rains and tornadoes and technologies to deliver disaster information using the outcomes of this research and development.

## (2) Maintaining Public Infrastructure Using ICT

In order to achieve effective and efficient maintenance of public infrastructure using ICT such as sensors, MIC is working on R&D and international standardization of highly reliable communications technologies to collect and transmit data on distortion, vibration, etc. measured with sensors at super-low power consumption.

## (3) Study Group on Future Network Infrastructure

MIC set up the Study Group on Future Network Infrastructure in January 2017. The purpose of this Study Group is to discuss technical problems and promotion policies for creating network infrastructure that can properly meet rapidly growing needs for ICT and support a society where ICT is fully utilized, envisaging the near future from 2020 to around 2030.

### 6. Other Research and Development Programs

## (1) Space Communications Technologies

In collaboration with MEXT and METI, MIC is developing the Unit 9 Engineering Test Satellite capable of large-capacity transmissions for conducting an in-orbit demonstration of flexible payload technology, etc. Additionally, MIC started to hold the Space×ICT Conference in November 2016 to discuss new businesses and social image that will be brought about by ICT-based innovative space use and means to achieve them.

## (2) Future Base ICT Technologies

MIC and NICT are researching and developing base technologies for achieving a new ultrafast wireless communication system and sensing system. 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.

## Section 7 Promoting International Strategies for ICT

### 1. Priority Promotion Themes for International Policy

## (1) Promoting Overseas Deployment of Japanese ICT

MIC is organically and flexibly collaborating with the Fund Corporation for the Overseas Development of Japan's ICT and Postal Services (JICT) and relevant organizations to proactively assist Japanese companies' overseas deployment of broadcast content, disaster prevention-related ICT, postal systems, satellites, security services, submarine optical cables, wireless systems, etc. The purpose of this initiative is to promote adoption of the Japanese ISDB-T standard for terrestrial digital TV and further dissemination of this standard and to expand cooperative relationships built up in the field of terrestrial digital broadcasting to the entirety of the ICT field.

ISDB-T has the strength in its unique functions to (i) broadcast emergency warnings to protect people’s lives,