Name in original language
第6期科学技術・イノベーション基本計画
Initiative overview
The 7th Basic Plan was developed through a consultative process launched by Cabinet Office referral to the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (CSTI) in December 2024, with a dedicated Expert Committee leading drafting through 2025 and a Cabinet decision adopted in March 2026. The Plan is structured around three strategic pillars. First, reviving Japan's research power: recognising a decade of declining research competitiveness, the Plan prioritises reform of the research environment through increased KAKENHI grants, postdoctoral support and university management reform. Second, innovation and industrial competitiveness: AI, semiconductors, quantum technologies, fusion energy, robotics and biotechnology are identified as strategic technology areas requiring end-to-end support from basic research through to social implementation. AI for Science is a prominent cross-cutting theme, covering AI-enabled research data infrastructure, autonomous laboratory systems and AI integration into research methodology; both GENIAC and the Japan AI Safety Institute operate under the mandate the Plan sets. Third, economic security integration: breaking from previous plans, the 7th Plan explicitly aligns science and technology strategy with economic security objectives, identifying strategically sensitive technology domains, introducing research security and integrity requirements for universities, and adopting a selective rather than uniformly open approach to international collaboration. Attracting global talent and positioning Japan as an international innovation hub are also explicit goals.
