Industrial Technology Vision 2020 and Japan’s sustainable future

Creating a more sustainable society and economy takes time, effort and planning. Thankfully, Japan has several initiatives towards this goal.

In May, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced “Industrial Technology Vision 2020.” It is a long-term strategy summarizing various discussions held by its subcommittees regarding the best way forward for sustainability in Japan.

The plan sets various short- and long-term goals to be achieved in 2025 and 2050. The end goal is to help Japan achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and resolve social issues. In addition, the plan promotes the transition to a circular economy which focuses on products and services that can be reused instead of consumed and discarded.

Japan needing to move from Society 4.0 towards 5.0

Japan hopes to achieve what it refers to as “Society 5.0.” The term indicates a society that balances economic concerns along with social ones through the integration of physical space and cyberspace.

Society 5.0 is an extension of the previous stages of human society, which according to the plan are ranked Society 1.0 through 4.0. Society 4.0 is our present society, which is characterized by its conveniences but also limitations in regards to technology and information. The struggle to address certain social problems such as Japan’s aging society defines the present era, as well.

The goal for Society 5.0 is to create a civilization that balances economic and human concerns by forging a system that uses technology to free people from certain burdens and to help with social issues. For example, people will be better connected through technology, automation and artificial intelligence which help with tasks such as organizing and analyzing information.

The announcement for Industrial Technology Vision 2020 acknowledges how innovation in Japan could be improved. The Coronavirus pandemic, in particular, highlights certain problems about Japan’s preparations for the future. It also acknowledges that there is no simple and easy way to reduce Japan’s stagnation, and as such, focuses on various multi-faceted objectives.

The focus of Industrial Technology Vision 2020

The strategy is organized around three layers that focuses on investment, research and development, and individual innovation.

Layer 1 involves investment in intellectual capital, which is knowledge that provides a competitive advantage to a company or organization. Examples of this include employee expertise and organizational processes. The focus here is creating a better ecosystem for startups to thrive in, attracting highly skilled talent and reviewing the education system in regards to intellectual capital.

Layer 2 focuses on research and development and business strategy regarding seeds for technology, with the end goal being to use those seeds practically and for social value. This layer also focuses on promoting open innovation and breaking away from Japan’s technological hubris and insularity.

Finally, Layer 3 is about investing in digital technology, biotechnology, material and energy technology, and environmental technology. All of these are necessary for achieving Japan’s vision of Society 5.0. The vision promotes investment in next-generation computing technologies and research and development in support of the so called “Intelligence of Things.” IoT currently stands for Internet of Things, referring to the importance of connectivity on many modern devices. Some believe that the term should change to Intelligence of Things, reflecting the increasing importance of artificial intelligence in the technology we use. Technologies and practices referred to in the METI announcement include online education, remote work and telemedicine.

Industrial Technology Vision 2020 lays out a much-needed roadmap for a more sustainable Japan, one that takes advantage of technology and information to help deal with social issues and create a more convenient and humanitarian society.