The Sixth Science, Technology, and Innovation Basic Plan

March 2021

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Strategies and Action Plans

The Sixth Science, Technology, and Innovation Basic Plan is an ambitious roadmap for Japan’s transition into an advanced digital society. By fostering innovation, strengthening research, and aligning with global sustainability goals, Japan aims to build a future-ready, human-centered, and resilient society.

The strategy acknowledges that the world is undergoing significant transformation due to rapid technological advancements, globalization, and crises like climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. Japan aims to lead these changes through an integrated approach to science, technology, and innovation.

The plan focuses on:

  • Addressing domestic and global challenges
  • Strengthening Japan’s competitiveness
  • Advancing Society 5.0, which integrates cyberspace and physical space to create a human-centered society
  • Investing approximately 30 trillion yen in research and development over five years, with a combined public and private investment of 120 trillion yen

2. Basic philosophy

Current challenges

  • Rapid geopolitical shifts (e.g., U.S.-China tensions)
  • Climate change and environmental concerns
  • Digital transformation challenges
  • Aging population and declining birthrate
  • Economic uncertainty and technology competition

Goals of the sixth basic plan

  • Strengthen Japan’s STI policies to solve global and domestic challenges
  • Fully integrate humanities and social sciences with natural sciences
  • Encourage interdisciplinary innovation
  • Expand Japan’s global leadership in STI

Society 5.0 vision

Japan envisions a “sustainable and resilient society that ensures safety and security while enabling individuals to achieve diverse happiness (well-being).” The plan aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while promoting trust, sharing, and cooperation at the international level.

3. Science, technology, and innovation policy for society 5.0

This chapter outlines key policies aimed at transforming Japan into an innovation-driven society.

1. Transition to a sustainable and resilient society

Japan aims to:

  • Promote AI, IoT, and big data for a cyber-physical fusion society
  • Achieve carbon neutrality by 2050
  • Strengthen disaster resilience and cybersecurity
  • Encourage urban and regional smart city development
  • Support research and development in disruptive technologies
Key Actions:
  • Develop smart cities that use digital infrastructure for better urban management
  • Foster industries that contribute to sustainability, such as renewable energy, green tech, and AI-driven automation
  • Enhance disaster prevention technologies
  • Strengthen cybersecurity frameworks to protect critical infrastructure

2. Strengthening research and development capabilities

Japan will:

  • Increase funding for basic and applied research
  • Develop open science and data-sharing policies
  • Encourage industry-academia collaboration
  • Support young researchers and establish new funding models
Key Actions:
  • Promote interdisciplinary research that fuses natural and social sciences
  • Develop data-driven research environments
  • Reform universities to adopt strategic management models
  • Enhance global research collaboration to attract top talent

3. Education and human resource development

To foster an innovative workforce, Japan will:

  • Modernise STEM and AI education
  • Provide lifelong learning opportunities
  • Support re-skilling programs for professionals
  • Promote international mobility for researchers
Key Actions:
  • Expand mathematics, data science, and AI education in universities
  • Establish STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) programs
  • Encourage public-private partnerships to bridge education and industry needs

4. Strengthening the STI promotion system

To implement these policies effectively, Japan will:

  1. Revitalise financial investment in R&D
  2. Strengthen public-private sector collaboration for innovation
  3. Enhance governance mechanisms to oversee STI policies
Key Actions:
  • Establish public and private funding pools to support STI startups
  • Implement regulatory reforms to facilitate rapid innovation adoption
  • Strengthen intellectual property laws to protect innovations

5. International collaboration and science diplomacy

Japan seeks to position itself as a global leader in STI by:

  • Promoting global research networks
  • Strengthening partnerships with G7, EU, OECD, and ASEAN
  • Supporting developing countries in adopting STI for sustainable development
  • Leading discussions on AI ethics, data governance, and technology regulations
Key Actions:
  • Expand Japan’s participation in international R&D projects
  • Develop a global framework for data-sharing and cybersecurity
  • Advocate for ethical AI and responsible use of emerging technologies

6. Implementation and measurement

The plan includes:

  • Performance indicators, such as GDP growth, research output, and AI adoption rates
  • Regular reviews to assess policy effectiveness
  • A national digital transformation strategy, driven by Japan’s newly established Digital Agency