Basic Act on Science, Technology, and Innovation (Tentative translation)
Table of Contents
Chapter I General Provisions (Articles 1 to 11)
Chapter II Science, Technology, and Innovation Basic Plan (Article 12)
Chapter III Promotion of Research and Development (Articles 13 to 20)
Chapter IV Promotion of International Exchange (Article 21)
Chapter V Advancement of Scientific and Technological Learning (Article 22)
Supplementary Provisions
Chapter I General Provisions
(Purpose)
Article 1  The purpose of this Act is to improve the level of science and technology and promote the development of innovation in Japan by establishing the particulars that form the basis of policies for advancement of science and technology, and developing innovation and comprehensively and systematically promoting policies for advancement of science and technology, and developing innovation; and in doing so, to contribute to Japan's socioeconomic development and improve the national welfare, as well as playing a role in global scientific and technological progress and the continued development of mankind.
(Definitions)
Article 2  (1) The term Developing Innovation" as used in this Act means creation of a major change in economic society by creating and popularizing new values through scientific discoveries or inventions, development of new products or new services, or other creative activities.
(2) The term "Advancement of Science and Technology, and Developing Innovation" as used in this Act means advancement of science and technology, as well as advancement of developing innovation through practical application of research and development results.
(3) The term "Research and Development" as used in this Act means basic research, applied research, and developmental research, and includes the development of technologies.
(4) The term "Researchers, etc." as used in this Act means researchers and experts (including personnel who assist in research and development), as well as persons who engage in administration and management of research and development, or popularization or practical application of the results (limited to those requiring expert knowledge and capacity).
(5) The term "Research and Development Agencies" as used in this Act means Research and Development Agencies prescribed in Article 2, paragraph (9) of the Act on Revitalization of Science and Technology, and Developing Innovation (Act No. 63 of 2008).
(6) The term "Universities and Research Institutes" as used in this Act means universities (including graduate schools) and inter-university research institutes.
(Course of Action for Advancement of Science and Technology, and Developing Innovation)
Article 3  (1) Advancement of science and technology, and developing innovation must be actively pursued in balance with people's lives, society, and nature, based on the principle of tapping into the creativity of researchers, etc. and human resources who create new businesses utilizing research and development results, in view of the fact that science and technology, and developing innovation are the wellsprings that bring about the future development of Japan and of mankind, and that the accumulation of scientific and technological knowledge is one of humanity's intellectual assets.
(2) As advancement of science and technology, and developing innovation, thought must be given to cultivating research and development capabilities with equilibrium across a wide spectrum of fields based on characteristics of each field; to promoting interdisciplinary or comprehensive research and development; to balancing the development of basic research, applied research, and developmental research; to promoting academic research and research other than academic research with equilibrium; and to fostering organic collaboration in and outside Japan among national research organizations, research and development agencies, universities and research institutes, private businesses and other relevant persons; and care must also be taken to balance the development of the natural sciences and the humanities, as their interrelatedness is essential to scientific and technological progress and developing innovation.
(3) Advancement of science and technology must be carried out in consideration of the fact that science and technology are important not only because they contribute to developing innovation, but also because they contribute to developing academic values and other various matters, and also in consideration of the fact that fairness needs to be ensured in research and development.
(4) Advancement of developing innovation must be carried out in organic collaboration with advancement of science and technology so that research and development results generated by advancement of science and technology lead to developing innovation to the maximal extent possible.
(5) Advancement of science and technology, and developing innovation must be carried out based on the principle of realizing a society where all the people can entirely enjoy benefits of science and technology, and developing innovation.
(6) As advancement of science and technology, and developing innovation, care must be taken to appropriately respond to the following challenges and other social challenges by comprehensively utilizing scientific and technological knowledge in any and all fields:
(i) challenges that Japan is facing, such as a declining birthrate and aging population, a decreasing population, and progress in trans-border socioeconomic activities;
(ii) global challenges common to all humankind, such as food shortages, constraint in the use of energy, and global warming; and
(iii) new challenges in employment or other fields arising from changes in socio-economic structures as a result of the use of science and technology.
(Responsibilities of the National Government)
Article 4  The national government has a responsibility to formulate and implement comprehensive policies for advancement of science and technology, and developing innovation based on the course of action for advancement of science and technology, and developing innovation prescribed in the preceding Article (referred to as the "course of action for advancement" in the following Article through Article 7).
(Responsibilities of Local Governments)
Article 5  A local government has a responsibility to formulate and implement policies for advancement of science and technology, and developing innovation based on the national government's policies , and independent policies for advancement of science and technology, and developing innovation that utilize the characteristics of that local government's administrative area, based on the course of action for advancement.
(Responsibilities of Research and Development Agencies and Universities and Research Institutes)
Article 6  (1) In view of the fact that their activities contribute to the improvement of the level of science and technology, and promotion of development of innovation, a research and development agency, or university or research institute is to independently and systematically endeavor to foster human resources, as well as to conduct research and development and popularize the results, while appropriately responding to scientific and technological progress and demands of the society, based on the course of action for advancement.
(2) In view of the importance of the role played by researchers, etc., as well as human resources who support research and development in its activities, a research and development agency, or university or research institute is to endeavor to secure appropriate treatment for those persons and maintain research facilities and equipment (meaning research facilities and research equipment; the same applies below), so as to make duties and working environments of those persons as attractive as they are important.
(Responsibilities of Private Businesses)
Article 7  (1) A private business is to endeavor to conduct research and development and develop innovation through practical application of the results in active collaboration with research and development agencies and universities and research institutes in its business activities, based on the course of action for advancement.
(2) In view of the importance of the role played by researchers, etc., as well as human resources who create new businesses utilizing research and development results in research and development, and developing innovation through practical application of the results, a private business is to endeavor to utilize those persons, and to secure appropriate treatment for those persons so as to make duties of those persons as attractive as they are important.
(Policymaking Considerations for the National Government and Local Governments)
Article 8  When formulating and implementing policies for advancement of science and technology, and developing innovation, the national government and local governments must keep in mind the importance of the roles that they play in the progress of basic research, remaining mindful that basic research brings about the discovery of new phenomena, breakthroughs in understanding them, and new and creative technological innovations; but that it is also difficult to predict what results basic research will yield from its inception, and that its results do not always have a practical application.
(Considerations Involving Policies for Universities and Research Institutes)
Article 9  When formulating and implementing policies for advancement of science and technology, and developing innovation that involve universities and research institutes, the national government and local governments must remain mindful of respecting the autonomy of researchers, etc. and take into account other characteristics of research at universities and research institutes, while also endeavoring to stimulate research activities at universities and research institutes.
(Legislative Measures)
Article 10  The government must take the necessary legislative, fiscal, monetary, and other measures to implement policies for advancement of science and technology, and developing innovation.
(Annual Reports)
Article 11  Every year, the government must submit a written report to the National Diet on policies that it has implemented for advancement of science and technology, and developing innovation.
Chapter II Science, Technology, and Innovation Basic Plan
Article 12  (1) In order to achieve comprehensive and systematic promotion of policies for advancement of science and technology, and developing innovation, the government must formulate a basic plan for advancement of science and technology, and developing innovation (referred to below as the "Science, Technology, and Innovation Basic Plan" in this Article).
(2) The Science, Technology, and Innovation Basic Plan must establish:
(i) a comprehensive policy for promoting research and development;
(ii) policies that the government should comprehensively and systematically implement to secure, train, and improve the credentials of, as well as to secure appropriate treatment for, the following human resources:
(a) researchers, etc.;
(b) human resources who support research and development (excluding those falling under (a));
(c) human resources who create new businesses utilizing research and development results; and
(d) human resources who support creation of new businesses utilizing research and development results.
(iii) policies that the government should comprehensively and systematically implement to maintain research facilities and equipment, to encourage informatization in research and development, and to otherwise establish an environment that promotes research and development;
(iv) policies that the government should comprehensively and systematically implement to establish an environment that encourages practical application of research and development results and developing innovation through the practical application; and
(v) other necessary particulars concerning advancement of science and technology, and developing innovation.
(3) To formulate the Science, Technology, and Innovation Basic Plan, the government must first pass this through discussions by the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation.
(4) The government must change the Science, Technology, and Innovation Basic Plan at its discretion if it finds this to be necessary, having reviewed this in consideration of factors such as the extent to which science and technology, and developing innovation are progressing and the impact of policies that it has implemented for advancement of science and technology, and developing innovation. In this case, the provisions of the preceding paragraph apply mutatis mutandis.
(5) When the government formulates the Science, Technology, and Innovation Basic Plan pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) or if it changes it pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the government must make it public.
(6) In order to ensure the necessary funding for the costs needed to implement the Science, Technology, and Innovation Basic Plan, the government must endeavor to take the necessary measures for implementing the plan smoothly, such as including the necessary funding in the budget each fiscal year to the extent that national finances allow.
Chapter III Promotion of Research and Development
(Promoting Diverse Research and Development while Maintaining Equilibrium)
Article 13  The national government is to implement the necessary policies to promote diverse research and development with equilibrium across a wide spectrum of fields based on characteristics of each field, and in order to redouble its efforts to promote research and development in essential scientific and technological fields whose advancement it should specifically work towards at the national level, it is to implement the necessary policies for things such as the planning and implementation of research and development in those fields.
(Securing Researchers, etc.)
Article 14  (1) The national government is to implement the necessary policies to enhance graduate school education and research and otherwise improve the securement, training, and credentials of researchers, etc., in order to promote research and development that responds to scientific and technological progress.
(2) The national government is to implement the necessary policies to secure appropriate treatment for researchers, etc., so as to make working as a researcher, etc. as attractive as it is important.
(3) In view of the fact that the human resources stated in Article 12, paragraph (2), item (ii), (b) are indispensable to the smooth promotion of research and development, and the human resources stated in (c) and (d) of the same item are indispensable to the promotion of developing innovation through practical application of research and development results, the national government is to implement policies equivalent to those that the preceding two paragraphs prescribe in order to secure, train, and improve the credentials of the human resources, and to secure appropriate treatment for them.
(Maintenance of Research Facilities and Equipment)
Article 15  (1) The national government is to implement the necessary policies to maintain the research facilities and equipment at research and development institutes (meaning institutes involved in research and development at national research organizations, research and development agencies, universities and research institutes, private businesses, and elsewhere; the same applies in the following Article and Article 17), in order to promote research and development that responds to scientific and technological progress.
(2) The national government is to implement the necessary policies to enhance research and development support functions such as the smooth supply of materials used in research, in order to effectively and efficiently promote research and development.
(Encouraging Informatization in Research and Development)
Article 16  The national government is to implement the necessary policies to encourage informatization in research and development, such as increased sophistication in scientific and technological information processing, enhancement of scientific and technological databases, and the construction of information networks among research and development institutes, etc., so as to effectively and efficiently promote research and development.
(Encouraging Exchange in Research and Development)
Article 17  The national government is to implement the necessary policies to encourage exchange in research and development, such as exchange among researchers, etc., joint research and development by research and development institutes, and collaborative use of research and development institutes' research facilities and equipment, in view of the fact that integrating diverse knowledge of researchers, etc. through reciprocal exchange among research and development institutes and among researchers, etc. creates a wellspring that brings about new developments in research and development, and that such exchange is indispensable to the effective and efficient promotion of research and development.
(Effective and Efficient Use of Research and Development Funds)
Article 18  The national government is to implement the necessary policies to allow for the utilization of research and development funds, such as making it possible for those funds to be used effectively and efficiently in line with the evolution of research and development, in order to ensure the smooth promotion of research and development.
(Utilization of Research and Development Results)
Article 19  The national government is to implement the necessary policies to popularize research and development results, such as appropriately protecting and disclosing research and development results and providing information about research and development, and is also to implement the necessary policies to encourage appropriate practical application and developing innovation through the practical application, in order to ensure the utilization of research and development results.
(Furtherance of Private Business Efforts)
Article 20  The national government is to implement the necessary measures to encourage research and development, and developing innovation through practical application of research and development results by private businesses, by facilitating independent efforts made by the private businesses, in view of the importance of the role that private businesses play in Japan's scientific and technological activities and activities for developing innovation.
Chapter IV Promotion of International Exchange
Article 21  The national government is to implement the necessary policies to promote international exchange in science and technology, and developing innovation, such as international exchange among researchers, etc., international joint research and development, and the international flow of scientific and technological information, so as to ensure that Japan plays an active role in the international community as well as contributing to further progress in science and technology, and developing innovation in Japan, by propelling the expansion of international scientific and technological activities and activities for developing innovation.
Chapter V Advancement of Scientific and Technological Learning
Article 22  The national government is to implement the necessary policies to advance scientific and technological learning in formal and social education and to spread scientific and technological edification and knowledge, so that not only young people, but the people as a whole are afforded every opportunity to deepen their understanding and interest in science and technology.
Supplementary Provisions
This Act comes into effect as of the day of its promulgation.
Supplementary Provisions  [Act No. 160 of December 22, 1999]  [Extract]
(Effective Date)
Article 1  This Act (excluding Articles 2 and 3) comes into effect as of January 6, 2001.
Supplementary Provisions  [Act No. 31 of May 1, 2014]  [Extract]
(Effective Date)
Article 1  This Act comes into effect as of the day specified by Cabinet Order within a period not exceeding one month from the date of promulgation.
Supplementary Provisions  [Act No. 63 of June 24, 2020]  [Extract]
(Effective Date)
Article 1  This Act comes into effect as of April 1, 2021; provided, however, that the provisions of the following Article and Article 6 of the Supplementary Provisions come into effect as of the day of promulgation.