Japan's e- to u-Technology Strategy

Breadcrumbs: The Future of Ubiquitous computing in 2025 --> Political: Japan's e- to u-Technology Strategy

Description

The national ICT strategies in Japan are evolving from "e" (electronics) toward "u" (ubiquitous). The concept of Ubiquitous network society presented under the u-Japan by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has already passed a stage of national strategy and policy and has entered the implementation stage.

Specifically with the aim of reforming distribution processes, progress has been made on worldwide basis in developing infrastructures that can lead to ubiquitous network societies, such as the EPC global Network and GDSN (Global Data Synchronization Network) principally in the US and Eourpe. As a result, a situation is emerging where "things" are directly connected to networks all over the world.

u-Japan Strategy pursues the goal of "establishing a utilization environment where ICT penetrates into every corner of life similar to grass roots, generating creative ICT uses and giving rise to new values. At the same time, new unexpected values are generated by synergies based on the linkage of these creative uses."

Enablers

• Increasing broadband connections
• Portable content
• Leading innovation companies
• Japanese enthusiasm for technological development
• Aging population

Inhibitors

• Failure to move quickly due to reistance to innovations in business models and social practices
• Economical downturn

Paradigms

In the recent years Japanese government has realised that previous e-Strategies do not anymore provide the most viable solutions for future technological strategies to meet set the requirements. By setting a new goal, the "u-Japan Strategy" adopted "emergent value creation" as its basic concept for policy evolution.

Timing

• Jan 2001 e-Japan Strategy
• Jul 2003 e-Japan Strategy II
• 2006 u-Japan Strategy

Experts

Tadashi Tsuji, Nomura Research Institute

References

• u-Japan Policy Overview
• [www.nri.co.jp/english/opinion/papers/2006/pdf/np2006104.pdf Next-Generation Ubiquitous Network Strategy]