Japanese government boosts its science spending allocation by 4%

Published: 1-May-2003


The Japanese government's draft budget for fiscal 2003 allocates ¥1.22 trillion (€7.6m)for promotion of science and technology, up 4% from 2002. But due to the protracted economic slump, the bulk of the funds are allocated to r&d projects that are expected to yield rapid commercial results. Appropriations for basic research grew by only 1.4%, making it difficult for the government to achieve its target of doubling spending in science over a five-year period from fiscal 2001.

Science/technology related allocations to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare at ¥41.7bn are up 2.4%, and will be used mainly to discover and establish methods of adapting practical application of advanced medical technology for hospitals. A new key project will identify illnesses caused by proteins and offer experimental treatment on a large scale. About ¥500m will be spent on a plan to collect the blood of people suffering from cancer, diabetes and other diseases from hospitals nationwide. Researchers would then try to pinpoint the specific proteins causing the diseases and thus to develop appropriate drugs. Another ¥870m will fund a related project for the large scale testing of experimental drugs, to accelerate commercialisation.

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