Regional innovation systems of Tsukuba, Japan

Abstract

Tsukuba Research and Science City in Japan was created by strong governmental initiative. It has grown to be a major center of Japanese research and development activities since the early 1960s. This technology and research center, with 13,000 qualified scientists and engineers, however, tends to be criticized as it does not create innovative activities. In this context, this paper examines the process of creating Tsukuba and its current circumstance based on extensive interviews with various organizations and individuals. It investigates major factors consisted of Tsukuba, including local and central governments, national research institutes, private companies, universities, and business organizations. It is expected to create policy recommendations to ameliorate problems contributing to Tsukuba's inertia