Roundtable discussion: Prospects for Science and Technology Cooperation with the Asia and Pacific Region

■ Participants
Matsuo, Hiroki (Center Left): Secretary General for Science, Technology and Innovation Policy, Cabinet Office
Matsumoto, Yoichiro (Center Right): Science and Technology Advisor to the Minister for Foreign Affairs (Special Assistant to the Minister for Foreign Affairs)
Shiraishi, Takashi (Right): Director-General, Asia and Pacific Research Center, Japan Science and Technology Agency
■ Moderator
Sunami, Atsushi (Left): Principal Fellow, Asia and Pacific Research Center, Japan Science and Technology Agency

This is the first article in a series of two detailing a roundtable discussion held between members of the Asia and Pacific Research Center, and members of the Japanese government related to science.

The world situation surrounding science, technology, and innovation has changed dramatically, and the state of affairs in the Asia and Pacific regions in particular, where development has been especially notable, is of considerable importance to Japan. Accordingly, as we are approaching the first anniversary of the Japan Science and Technology Agency's (JST) Asia and Pacific Research Center (APRC), which was inaugurated in April 2021 with the aim of establishing a foundation to support Japan's science and technology cooperation in these regions, a roundtable discussion was held on the theme of "Prospects for Science and Technology Cooperation with the Asia and Pacific Regions."

International cooperation in the Asia and -Pacific regions is important: Sunami
Practical applications of state-of-the-art research findings are important state issues: Matsuo

Sunami (moderator): I am Sunami from the APRC, and I will be acting as the moderator today. I look forward to our discussion.

As a think tank, the APRC aims to expand and deepen cooperation in the scientific and technological fields between Japan and the Asia and Pacific regions, and contribute to the establishment of a foundation for innovation in Japan, based on the three pillars of Research, Information Sharing, and Networking.

Today, the world environment surrounding scientific and technological innovation is undergoing significant change, and international cooperation in the Asia and Pacific regions majorly impacts Japan's scientific and technological innovation as well. I would like to ask today's participants to start by discussing the outlook Japan should have in the future. Secretary-General Matsuo, may I ask you to start?

Matsuo: Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation Policy revised the Basic Act on Science and Technology to include innovation in science and technology as well as in the humanities and social sciences. In April 2021, we launched the Sixth Science, Technology and Innovation Basic Plan. In this way, not only conventional natural sciences but also geopolitical factors, including in the humanities and social sciences, have become very important in the science and technology field. Amid such geopolitical changes, science, technology, and innovation have come to stand at the center of the struggle for supremacy among nations. In particular, state-of-the-art basic research and practical applications of research findings are important state issues.

The past two years have also been tough due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The number of issues that cannot be addressed at the single country level, such as the global spread of infectious diseases, international terrorism, cyberattacks, and increasingly large-scale natural disasters, has increased, leaving us with no choice but to address them by cooperating across national borders.

In the midst of this, the Asia and Pacific regions, which account for about 60% of the world's population and about 40% of the global gross domestic product (GDP), are becoming very important. We likewise consider these regions to be very important in the new Sixth Science, Technology and Innovation Basic Plan. Japan has had technological advantages in the past, but the Asia and Pacific regions' scientific and technological capabilities have also increased greatly, so I believe that a key challenge in the future will be interacting with each other on equal footing.

Shifts in science and technology diplomacy due to the pandemic: Matsumoto
Human resource development and talent circulation through international cooperation is important: Shiraishi

Sunami: You mentioned the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, that cooperation across national borders will be a major theme, and that geopolitical perspectives will be included. With regard to science and technology, it is not only about exchange; there are strategic aspects as well. I think coordination with diplomatic policies will also be important. What is your view on this issue, Mr. Matsumoto?

Matsumoto: This is exactly right. Science and Technology Diplomacy has become important, and it is an extremely important component to include in international strategy. Director-General Shiraishi discussed this issue at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2014, where he set up the Advisory Panel on Science and Technology Diplomacy. From this panel, it was recommended that science and technology be used as diplomatic tools for responding to global challenges and that cooperative relations with partner countries and regions, including emerging countries, that are highly important in terms of diplomacy be strengthened. It was also recommended that Japan proactively support the overseas expansion of Japanese companies in conjunction with science and technology diplomacy.

The panel also pointed out the importance of strengthening cooperation in human resource development and network building for the next generation, as well as utilizing human resources in science and technology for diplomatic activities through private-sector exchanges. It was with this in mind that the position of Science and Technology Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs was created within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2020, I took over from the first advisor, Kishi, Teruo (Honorary President of the National Institute for Materials Science). Directly after this the COVID-19 pandemic began and we have been engaged in a number of discussions about the best way to change our science and technology diplomacy policy.

For example, how should we think about the link between science and technology and security? This is an extremely important topic and I believe that it is not something that the science and technology advisor can handle alone, so it is necessary to proceed in an integrated manner while coordinating with other ministries and agencies. Moreover, as a part of our upcoming information campaigns targeting events such as the Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit, we have also discussed how scientific and technological innovation can play a part in food system shifts from the perspective of planetary health.

Another topic is digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI). Here, we are moving toward ensuring efficient mathematics-based data collection and machine learning. Furthermore, since outstanding scientific and technological capabilities are needed to promote science and technology diplomacy, we have begun discussing what Japan's policy should be for fostering science and technology as well as strategies for expanding and strengthening our foundation and generating efficient innovation. Through these endeavors, it became clear that investment in people is important.

In Japan, there is a strong tendency for people to stay within a single organization, but international examples have shown us that talented people move around frequently. Since human resource mobility based on these international standards is essential, it was pointed out that there is a need to establish a basis for the circulation of human resources. The importance of international joint research and network building overseas were also noted, as was the necessity of establishing a local environment that can attract and retain outstanding overseas human resources. We have also discussed the importance of strengthening Japan's presence in, and cooperation with, relevant countries and organizations for that purpose.

Sunami: We have received many suggestions from you both, so now I would like to hear from Director-General Shiraishi, with consideration for the Asia and Pacific regions' special characteristics.

Shiraishi: A look at the top 10% academic papers in 2000 and 2010 analyzed by the National Institute of Science and Technology Policy (NISTEP), a national experimental research institute under the direct control of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), shows that China is growing rapidly. While China's growth is a common topic of discussion, India and Brazil are also growing as well. We would likely see even bigger changes if we look ahead to 2030 or 2040. Because of this I think it is necessary to examine the Asia and the Pacific region in a longer-term perspective.

Even in the 2040s, Japan will be ranked fourth or fifth in the world in terms of economic scale, but the gap between Japan on the one hand and the United States, China and India on the other, will likely widen considerably. Given this prospect, how will Japan form collaborations both globally and within the Asia and Pacific regions? I think there are two very important aspects to this.

The first is the extreme importance of the development of human resources, particularly the brain circulation that the Science and Technology Advisor Matsumoto mentioned. Long-term plans devised by governments of other countries, such as Australia and Indonesia, always mention these aspects. We at the APRC are devising strategies to encourage cooperation in the field of human resource development and exchange.

Another factor of which I am keenly aware of when talking to people in Southeast Asia and India is that while 4G/5G combinations fuel communication systems and clouds, and given that further technological development to facilitate carbon neutrality in the energy sector, developing and emerging countries do not want to rely on either developed countries or China. They want a hybrid system of modules, which allows them not entirely to depend on any county.

I am reasonably sure it will happen, and it is important for JST to invest in science and technology, while paying close attention to markets both in the developed countries and developing and emerging countries. These kinds of conversations are constantly going on, and it is important to be part of the conversations.

Basic research on vaccines and other topics requires built-in redundancy: Matsumoto
Southeast Asia's and others' great expectations of Japanese research: Sunami

Sunami: I believe that everyone has presented several important issues. In the context of these issues, I would like to ask the Science and Technology Advisor Matsumoto to fill us in on the current discussions regarding the role Japan is expected to play in the post-COVID or living-with-COVID era.

Matsumoto: At the bipartisan level, there are currently discussions about the ongoing crisis in Japan in terms of science and technology, and I believe that the restoration of science and technology capabilities is a major theme. With the COVID-19 pandemic, we also had researchers doing basic research on making vaccines using messenger RNA in Japan, and there were movements to make some form of vaccine, but this could not be realized quickly enough. Considering the risk management aspect of these issues, I have argued that it is important to create an environment in which basic research can be carried out with redundancy.

For example, in the spirit of OODA loop (Observe-Orient-Decide- Act), we need to research vaccines that can respond to new viruses quickly and flexibly depending on the circumstances. We also need to have a system in place that allows us to launch all these processes at once whenever a pandemic occurs. Furthermore, I really think there is a green transformation (GX) crisis. Large-scale floods are occurring not only in Japan but also in Europe, and giant tornadoes are causing extensive damage in the United States. A tremendous amount of climate change is happening, requiring urgent intervention.

For this reason, we have also argued that it is necessary to promote research that simulates and predicts climate change as a national core technology. In fact, Japan has the technology and resources to enable precise weather forecasting. Changing parameters by combining data and simulation results is important for weather forecasting. However, these technologies are among Japan's strengths, and I believe that it is important to continue to strengthen them and encourage collaboration between academia and relevant ministries and agencies.

Part two here.