Investing in Japan
Why Japan?
10 Advantages to Investing in Japan
5. World's center for technological innovation and product development
Partnerships with Japanese companies enable foreign-affiliated companies to leverage their respective talents, which is vital to remaining globally competitive. Furthermore, Japanese companies emphasize enhancing product development and manufacturing efficiency, making Japan the ideal arena for innovation.
R&D spending to GDP ratio for major countries with total R&D expenditure (in brackets)
Source: "White Paper on Science and Technology 2006," Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
Summary Innovation Index (SII)*
Note:
* The relevant elements of innovation input are captured by three sub-groups of indicators:
1. Innovation drivers, to measure the structural conditions required for innovation potential.
2. Knowledge creation, to measure the investments on human factors and on R&D
3. Innovation & entrepreneurship, to measure the efforts towards innovation at the microeconomic level.
The relevant elements of innovation output are captured by two sub-groups of indicators:
1. Application, to measure the performance, expressed in terms of labour and business activities, and their value added in innovative sectors.
2. Intellectual property, to measure the achieved results in terms of successful know how, especially referred to high-tech sectors.
Source: European Innovation Scoreboard 2005
Protection of intellectual property rights
Japan has established several laws to strengthen intellectual property protection, including the creation of the "Intellectual Property High Court" in April 2005 to improve the intellectual property claims process.
- The world's second-largest market
- Sophisticated consumers with high purchasing power
- World-class companies and SMEs with unique technologies
- Loyalty and commitment to long-term partnerships
- World's center for technological innovation and product development
- Access to new Asian markets
- Favorable business climate
- Rapidly growing broadband society
- Expanding environmental market
- Booming business in silver care and retirees
