Possibilities and Problems for the Regional Innovation in Japan

Under a knowledge-based economy, regional innovation policies have been treated as important regional policies. In this paper, the author attempts to argue the possibilities and problems for regional innovation in Japan. For this purpose, the author has investigated the development of industry-academy-government collaboration in Ube City which has been designated as one of a number of knowledge cluster projects by the National Government. Ube City is a typical company town and the regional system had been characterized by the vertical relationship between a core company and it's subcontractors. Since the late 19905, the local national university has played an important role to promote cooperation with various types of enterprises, research institutions, and local governments. As such horizontal relationships have become more influential, it is necessary to overcome the gap in interest and knowledge base between the core company and the local university.