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Chairman's Message

Contributing to Society by Accelerating Innovation and Achieving Results in a Timely Manner

Chairman's photoSAITO Tamotsu
Chairman
New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization

Following the two oil crises of the 1970s, NEDO was established in 1980 to promote the development and introduction of new energy technologies. Since then, NEDO has become one of the largest public research and development management organizations in Japan, and it works with the government to implement economic and industrial policies. In this capacity, NEDO undertakes technology development and demonstration activities to carry out the two basic missions of addressing energy and global environmental problems and enhancing industrial technology by integrating the combined efforts of industry, academia, and government. In order to further advance its activities, NEDO has formulated technology development strategies with a mid- and long-term perspective, and has planned and proposed new projects based on its strategies. In addition, with the aim of creating greater innovation, a new project manager system has been introduced to improve management capabilities and enhance NEDO's role as an intermediary for discovering technology seeds and facilitating the commercialization of innovative technology.

NEDO is carrying out its Fourth Five-Year Plan that began in April 2018 with a focus on its three pillars of achieving results for practical application through technology development management, fostering technology-based startups, and providing a new direction for mid- and long-term technology development.

First, as a specific effort to achieve results for practical application through technology development management, NEDO is striving to further strengthen its management capability to promote challenging research and development activities based on technology strategies. This is expected to enable a quick response to innovation that is taking place around the world and produce practical applications that utilize research and development results as much as possible. Second, NEDO will develop and implement various support measures to foster human resources and technology-based startups by establishing a system to provide consistent support from the seed phase to practical application. NEDO's activities will also include giving assistance to discover human resources capable of bringing about innovation, thereby creating new industries. In addition, NEDO facilitates open innovation and cooperates and exchanges information with other public organizations with the aim of serving as a public-private support hub for venture businesses and open innovation. Third, a new direction for mid- and long-term technology development is being established, which will lead to cultivation and practical use of innovation in the future.

In addition to providing evidence necessary for policy making, technology development strategies utilizing Japan's competitive advantages will be formulated by anticipating innovation trends faster and more accurately than in other countries. NEDO will then plan and carry out industryacademia-government collaborative projects.

As this fiscal year marks the 40th anniversary of its establishment as a governmental organization and also the mid-point of its Fourth Five-Year Plan, NEDO will further enhance its approach to achieving goals with the aim of promoting ongoing development of three social systems necessary to realize a sustainable society. To this end, NEDO will continue to make every effort to contribute to society by providing opportunities to produce innovation through industry-academia-government collaboration and achieving results in a timely manner.

Last Updated : April 1, 2023