Japan and China increase investment in science

Laboratory in Shanghai - Photo: AFP

Japan and China (China) decided to increase the cost of scientific research, in order to compete in the global race for new scientific inventions. On March 22, the Japan Science Commission approved a plan to cost $ 213 billion in the next five fiscal years from April 2006.

Of this amount, $ 34.12 billion was spent promoting scientific research and competing with other Asian countries, including China, and stimulating scientific research among the population.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi also expressed his political will to affirm that scientific research is a priority, so even if the national budget is reduced, funding for science will increase.

He called on scientists to expand the scope of research, especially in the field of high technology and life science. He said at the end of this month the cabinet will approve the plan to spend money on science as proposed.

Meanwhile in China, the Academy of Science says it will focus its efforts on 40 major research areas in the next 15 years, to help China become one of the leading countries in advanced science.

Under this plan, the priority sectors are to support research costs such as Internet, new pharmaceutical manufacturing, development of biofuels, nanotechnology, clean energy, CO2 recovery technology and durable agriculture. strong.

To achieve this goal, the academy will increase the investment by 70% over the plan of the previous five years, and from 2011 to 2020 the investment in scientific research will increase 12% per year. Specifically in 2020, the amount spent on research will be $ 112 billion. Thus, the rate of research investment will increase from 1.3% of current GDP to 2.5%.

UA