Challenges facing Japanese companies achieving innovative R&D through empowering concept creators

Summary form only given. In 1997, a research group led by the author,was established to propose policies for innovative R&D in Japanese companies. This research group, consisting of ten people from industry, government, and academia, clarified the importance of promoting the following three areas in Japanese companies: Establishing effective technology strategies Empowering core people to lead innovative R&D Generating innovative ideas This paper focuses on the second of these three areas, that is, how to empower core people in a company to lead innovative R&D. We surveyed a number of Japanese companies by sending out questionnaires in 1998. We found that the R&D target determination function performed by section chiefs or equivalent is important to the success of innovative projects in Japan. The results of this survey indicate that the key to promoting innovative R&D in Japan is the establishment of "concept creators" separated from project execution as core staff in R&D. In this paper, we emphasize the importance of "individual play" (as opposed to "team play") in concept-creation. Since there is a strong tendency for the "common-sense" majority to crush a unique idea in its early stages, the approach proposed here entrusts a concept creator with the incubation of an initial idea, including its testing for technical and market feasibility. A team of supporters and sympathizers is formed as the idea becomes more viable and stronger, and the creation process is expanded. We identified some important problems that Japanese companies must address to effectively nurture and empower concept creators separated from project execution