Innovation in science and technology arises from balanced supports for fundamental research, applied studies, and societal implementation. However, changes in Japanese science policy that shifts toward top-down, evaluation-based, and competitive funding practices have undermined Japan’s long-term research sustainability and innovation potential. “Selection and concentration” strategy (prioritization of specific research areas) and the “competition principle” introduced in Japanese science policy have significantly altered Japan’s research environment for the worse. An excessive shift toward competitive grants, combined with the introduction of fixed-term contracts in academia, has increased instability at both the institutional and individual levels, diminishing the time and resources available for long-term basic research. These changes threaten the potential for scientific discoveries that lead to innovation. Although recently initiatives such as the introduction of University Research Administrators (URAs) have been implemented to support researchers, it is still insufficient to counterbalance the systemic challenges faced by Japan’s research ecosystem. To reestablish a stable research environment, a fundamental policy shift may be necessary, reconsidering the fundamental process of innovation: sustainable career pathways and funding allocations to basic science that foster seeds for future innovation.
Japanese Science Policies and Their Impacts on Scientific Research
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