Articles

Future Technology and the Capability of Local Region for Green Innovation in Japan

Kuniko Urashima

Abstract

The current Japanese cabinet announced new basic policy that called the “New Growth Strategy (NGS)” policy. NGS consists with two main concepts which is the “Green innovation (GI)” and the “Life Innovation (LI). The basic idea of those strategy are involved three major matter “strong economy”, “robust public finances” and a “strong social security system”. The concept of GI is not only environmental issue but also strategy of enhancing of economic growth situation as well as 25% reduction of Green House Gases (GHG) by 2020. This strategy considered with our new life style in future that is including energy sector such as renewable, nuclear energy and transportation system, as well as residential sector matter such as fuel cell cogeneration, home energy management system etc. Since climate change is top priority of environmental issue, green innovation has been key of improvement and solving this cause. Also current concern in Japan is not only environmental and energy issue but also aging society, less number of children, etc that is relating our future life. Therefore it has been considering how should we make and develop it and how S&T contribute it. Many reports mentioned the low carbon society defined that the regional innovation system will be contribute reduction of CO2 emission and also chance to development of new business as well that S&T is important of issue. We have been considering it by policy studies such as Innovation 25, Cool Earth 50, and Delphi survey, Scenario development, and capability of local regions for green innovation. Backcasting methods of future prediction is now getting popular so that S&T is more important than passed years.

Keywords