The government plans to establish a public-private council that will become the government’s control tower for realizing its new growth strategy, the Japan Revitalization Strategy 2016. According to the plan, efforts will focus on the promotion of a “fourth industrial revolution” that aims at advancing industry through information technology and artificial intelligence.
Presided over by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the council will comprise relevant Cabinet members and economic experts, including Sadayuki Sakakibara, chairman of the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren).
The establishment of the council is aimed at preventing a hierarchy among ministries and at implementing various policies in a timely manner.
The council will be authorized at the government’s Industrial Competitiveness Council, also chaired by Abe, which is due to be held on Thursday. A decision will be made in a Cabinet meeting as early as May 31.
The fourth industrial revolution is meant to promote the automation and sophistication of industry by utilizing IT, AI, robots and big data. Plans include drone delivery services and “smart factories” that reduce production waste by predicting demand through the use of various data.
The council plans to decide on the priority issues that need to be tackled to achieve its aims, ease regulations that hamper research and development, and foster human resources.
Japan is lagging behind in these fields as major countries in Europe and the United States are prioritizing development in AI and other areas.
The council will hold its first meeting as early as this autumn and convene every three months, according to sources.
In its growth strategy plan, the government said: “Japan has a good chance of winning out, but if we miss this opportunity, we will not have another chance. Speed is absolutely essential.”
There are 10 sectors specified in the growth strategy, including the fourth industrial revolution. Also named are the environment and energy, health care and turning sports into a growth industry.Speech(The Yomiuri Shimbun)
Link: http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002948193
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