The government has designated 16 areas, including semiconductors and dual-use technology, as priority items in a "Japan Growth Strategy Implementation Plan" it aims to compile by the end of the year. The 16 areas cover 28 of the 62 products and technologies the plan targets for 370 trillion yen in public and private investment by fiscal 2040.
The secretariat of the Japan Growth Strategy Council presented the list at a meeting on Friday. It sorted investment fields into three groups by expected knock-on effects and by how far the technology or business has developed: current sources of earnings, future earners, and the strengthening of economic security. The fields were organized into 40 items, of which 16 will get priority consideration.
The three categories
- Current sources of earnings: semiconductors, specialized AI, data centers, dual-use technology, pharmaceuticals and regenerative medicine, innovative medical devices, games and anime
- Future earners: physical AI, autonomous driving technology, all-optical networks, next-generation communications, quantum computers, next-generation solar cells, plant factories and land-based aquaculture
- Strengthening economic security: the source lists this category without naming its items
Dual-use technology refers to products and know-how that can serve both civilian and military purposes. The plan's investment target of 370 trillion yen is split between public and private spending.