377. First of all, the delegation of Japan would like to thank the delegation of the United States for introducing our concept paper.
378. As introduced in the concept paper, international research collaboration is a very useful tool for researchers and enterprises in areas such as efficiency and cost consideration—particularly for MSMEs, whose resources are often limited.
379. The Government of Japan has been actively supporting research collaboration across borders for entities including private enterprises and universities. For example, a national agency called the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) has launched a Strategic International Collaborative Research Program. As part of this initiative, JST cooperates with funding agencies in counterpart countries and regions to provide large-scale funding to researchers aimed at facilitating collaboration among researchers in a broad range of countries.
380. As stated in the concept paper, it is crucial to conduct negotiations prior to entering into such collaborations in order to determine how to approach the intellectual property generated through the joint research.
381. In order to help facilitate collaborative research activities, we would now like to introduce some of our related initiatives from an IP perspective.
382. Firstly, Japan has been continuously working on building better IP systems that serve as a global infrastructure to bolster collaborative research activities.
383. As mentioned in the concept paper, smooth collaborations among researchers and enterprises require an environment within which they can trust that their present or future intellectual property will be properly protected in the partner country or countries while engaging in joint research activities. In other words, effective collaborations can become hindered by IP systems that differ from country to country, or by insufficient protection or enforcement in a partner country.
384. In this regard, the Japan Patent Office has been cooperating with WIPO to assist emerging countries in developing legal systems and human resources by offering training courses to government staff and IP experts. In addition, Japan has been placing efforts on discussions and initiatives toward IP system harmonization within plurilateral and multilateral fora with the aim of harmonizing legal systems that differ from country to country. We believe that such initiatives will bring positive momentum to collaborative research activities.
385. Secondly, Japan has also been providing a wide variety of support for institutions and enterprises that engage in collaborative research initiatives in order to expand their business to foreign countries whose IP system differs from Japan's.
386. One of the initiatives led by the Japan Patent Office is the establishment of an International Business-Related IP Support Desk, which offers nationwide consultation and support for businesses. This IP Support Desk provides advice and suggestions regarding the acquisition and utilization of IP rights for Japanese companies that intend to expand overseas, and also provides support on collaborative research and contracts with foreign companies. In addition to private consultations, such support also includes seminars and e-learning lectures that offer tips on matters such as crossborder IP contracts and non-disclosure agreements.
387. Successful results to date include a Japanese company that consulted the IP Support Desk regarding its plans to expand its business into Southeast Asia, and ended up using the advice and suggestion to establish a joint venture together with a local enterprise, and then launch collaborative research together with a local university in order to better understand local customers' needs.
388. In conclusion, in order to engage in continuously smooth and efficient joint research, it is essential to have equal, fair and friendly cooperation among both companies and researchers. We would like to emphasize that the IP system can play a major role in achieving this, and we believe that the afore-mentioned initiatives can facilitate such future-oriented collaborations.
389. We sincerely hope that this presentation will be useful for other Members, and we look forward to listening to others share their experiences.
