Research Presentations (session 2 of 5) - Koyanagi, Sasai and Takeuchi
In this session of the Corporate Affiliates Research Presentations, the following will be presented:
Satoshi Koyanagi, Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry, Japan, "Effectiveness of the Silicon Valley Ecosystem in the Clean-Tech Sector"
The energy sector in the Japanese government faces two big problems. The first is how to achieve the basic principle for the power supply-demand structure – by introducing renewable energy and optimizing energy consumption, this would lower dependency on nuclear power generation. The second problem is how to tackle climate change. The key factor in overcoming both of these problems is the innovation in the clean-tech sector while maintaining international competitiveness and quality of life. In his research, Koyanagi investigates the features of venture capital investments, the features of start-ups in the clean-tech sector and current public support of clean-tech start-ups. He tries to answer the question of “Does the Silicon Valley Ecosystem Work Effectively in the Clean-Tech Sector?” From his research findings, Koyanagi makes some recommendations for the Japanese government to promote innovation in the clean-tech sector.
Tsuneo Sasai, The Asahi Shimbun, "Fostering Entrepreneurship in Japan: A Look at the Personal History of Japanese Entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley"
In Japan, the electronic industry has been on the decline for the past 10 years and the automotive industry is facing many new challenges. In order to maintain and develop its scale of economy, Japan needs to increase its number of entrepreneurs who can revitalizes the economy and make innovation happen both inside and outside of Japanese companies.
There is, however, a growing trend of highly motivated young people in Japan interested in start-ups and some have immersed themselves in the Silicon Valley to seek greater business opportunities. Based on his interviews with them, Sasai believes their personal history, including their childhood and what steps they took to create their own start-ups in Silicon Valley, can help explain their entrepreneurial aspirations. In his presentation, Sasai shows how this knowledge can provide useful insights to help Japan develop more entrepreneurs.
Mariko Takeuchi, Sumitomo Corporation, "What is 'Fintech" and what is its Outlook for Japan?"
Financial technology or “Fintech” is a term that, in the last couple of years, has been used often and widely. Most people understand this technology is related to the financial market. However, because the Fintech market is huge, it is difficult to understand exactly what it is and what it can provide to us. Additionally, the wave of Fintech is coming to Japan with several Fintech start-ups emerging recently. In her research, Takeuchi studied the activities of both the U.S. and Japanese governments and traditional financial institutions and how they relate to Fintech. Based on her findings, Takeuchi divides Fintech into twelve categories and shows that the category map between Japanese and U.S. Fintech market is slightly different. In her presentation, she explains the reasons for the difference from the regulations stand-point and provides some insight for the future of Japanese Fintech.
In April 2014, under consideration of the recent situation of international cooperation and developing defense equipment in the world, the government of Japan decided on the “Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology”. Additionally, the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency was newly established in the Ministry of Defense (MOD) in October 2015, consolidating and reorganizing acquisition-related organization in the MOD to address the new age and duties. These recent changes could have a big impact on the defense industry in Japan. In his research, Aikawa tries to figure out how to develop the defense industry by looking at the situation in South Korea, whose government recently developed to export defense equipment to other countries. Aikawa uses this example to illustrate implications for the government of Japan on the future of the defense industry.
Basel III has been developed in response to the financial crisis that started in 2007 and reached one of its many peaks with the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy in September 2008. The aim of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) implementing Basel III is to make the banking system more resilient to market stress, but this new regulation inevitably limits the ability of banks to take deposits and lend money to the real economy. Banks are also under constant pressure from their own shareholders who are providing them with equity capital to maximize the usage of the capital in order to achieve high returns for them. With all these regulatory policy intensions and market economic constraints taken into account, Sakamaki has researched into whether the Basel III would indeed lead to increased stability of the banking system, or what possibly unintended negative consequences could develop in its implementation process.
Regional differences in regulatory oversight of post-approval changes exists in the ICH regions and there is an urgent need for clarification of current expectations and how best to optimize the use of relevant regulatory tools in place in the different regions. The key aspects considered are 1) inclusion of risk-based regulatory commitment approach to enable post-approval changes and continual improvement, 2) establishing criteria for an harmonized risk-based change management system, and 3) introducing the concept of post-approval change management plan for regulatory overview. 
Michael Armacost, Shorenstein Distinguished Fellow
