[Provisional Translation]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held the eighth meeting of the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation at the Prime Minister’s Office.
During the meeting, discussion was held on the initiatives of the National Emphasis Program, the Fifth Science and Technology Basic Plan, and the state of initiatives toward the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Based on the discussion in the meeting, the Prime Minister said the following in his address,

“The 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games are not just a dream stage for the athletes, but also for Japanese scientific and technological innovation. I want the Government and private sector to work together as one so that during the 2020 Games, we will be able to show to the world how our technological capabilities can make dreams a reality.

The world is now entering an era in which we are seeing rapid evolutions in the frameworks of existing technology, such as the development of the Internet of Things (IoT). In the future, the key to creating value will be in the systemization of technology to bring forth connections across services and businesses, and the networking of values. I believe we must boldly tear down existing ‘walls’ so that we are not left behind by the world. 

Shortly after the inauguration of the Abe Administration, we created the Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP) and the Innovative Research and Development Promotion Program (ImPACT) as “National Emphasis Programs,” and introduced game-changing schemes that can tear down the ‘walls’ between each agency and ministry as well as the Government, industry, and academia.

In the next Science and Technology Basic Plan, I want to move even further forward, tearing down walls in organizations, between generations, and across borders, and advancing work on systems that hinder the mobilization and restructuring of human resources, research funding systems, and further reforms in universities.”