The Internationalization of Corporate R&D

THE INTERNATIONALIZATION OF CORPORATE R&DCurrent Status of Japanese Corporate R&D Overseas ActivitiesThe data used hereafter is mainly based on questionnaire surveys by the Ministry ofEconomy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,Science and Technology (MEXT).METI’s survey is titled “Survey of Overseas Business Activities (SOBA).” It has beenconducted since 1972 among Japanese subsidiaries located in foreign countries (METI2003). In 2003 the questionnaire was sent to 4,060 Japanese companies having subsidiariesabroad and the reply rate was 65 percent.The survey by MEXT is titled “Survey of Research Activity of Private Sector in Japan”and has been conducted every year since 1968 (MEXT 2004a). The objective is toanalyze trends and status of private R&D activities, expenditure, research personnel,collaboration with external organizations, corporate strategy, etc. The purpose of theseanalyses is to provide information to policymakers. In 2003, the survey was sent to2,038 companies and 1,072 (53 percent) replied.Figure 9-2 Percentage of Japanese companies having R&D expenditures abroad by industry.100%90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%0%Software and InformationProcessingNon ManufacturingElectronic Parts and DevicesElectronic Equipment and ElectricMeasuring InstrumentsDrug and MedicineOil and PaintInformation and CommunicationElectronics EquipmentPrecision InstrumentManufacturingMotor VehicleManufacturingAll IndustriesCurrently do not ow n overseas units; no intention to build new units in the futureCurrently do not ow n overseas units; intention to build new units in the futureCurrently ow n overseas R&D unitsSource: MEXT 2004a.210