4. RWC Project as Proveved by Data

Although the original purpose of the charts and tables here is to provide the data on RWCP activities during the 1998 project year, we have included additional information to give an overall picture of the project since its inception in 1992.

Because the research areas have changed over the seven years since the start of the project, we must carefully review how the project has developed in order to compile statistics on each research field. First of all, we will briefly outline the history of RWC project.

In July 1992, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) established the Real World Computing Partnership (RWCP), an organization for managing the Real World Computing Project, in an effort to create a new information processing technology system in cooperation with other countries. This was the beginning of the 10-year research and development project.

The first five years of the Project from 1992 to 1996 focused on explorative research, including novel functions, massively parallel systems and optical technology. However, the social situation has changed radically since the project was originally contemplated. To accommodate such changes, the Evaluation and Promotion Committee, a private advisory body to the Director-General of MITI's Machinery and Information Industries Bureau, and other preparatory committees met in March 1996 to discuss how the second half of the project should be conducted. As a result, it was decided to concentrate research resources on two main fields of research; real world intelligence technology, and parallel and distributed computing technology, so as to boost progress of RWCP's research activities. For the second five-year period from 1997, therefore, the plan is take over the framework of the RWC Project's first half, develop fundamental information technology of the next generation, and establish important elemental technologies for each research field.

As a result of such project development, the five years from 1992 to 1996 were designated as the first phase and the two years from 1997 to 1998 as the second phase for those technology areas shown in the charts of patent applications and publications and presentations on the following pages.

(2) Publications of Technical Theses and Presentations

The research results of the RWC Project have been made widely public by means of theses, lectures, briefings and press releases. From 1992 when the project started to 1998, the total number of such publications and presentations reached 2,002. The following chart illustrates the number of publications and presentations by year and research field.

Fig 1:Publications and presentations

(3) Patent Applications

Patent applications have been produced for some of the RWC Project's research results. The total number of patent applications is 248 to date. The following chart indicates the changes and breakdown of patent applications by research field.

Fig 2: Patent Applications

(4) System of the RWC Project

<1> Industry-Government-University Cooperation

The system which has been most effective including the publication of theses and patent applications is based on cooperation among industry, government, and universities.

<2> RWCP Laboratories and Research Themes

The following table shows the number of RWCP laboratories and research themes. RWCP has established close cooperative relations with domestic and overseas institutes and universities to facilitate international joint researches.

Table 1: Number of laboratories and research themes by technology field(1998)

<3> TRC and Distributed Laboratories

The core of the RWC Project are the Tsukuba Research Center (TRC) and distributed laboratories established by RWCP member companies in Japan and abroad. RWCP research activities are carried out at a total of 46 laboratories, 8 of which are overseas. The following is a list of all laboratories in 1998.

<4> Subcontracted Laboratories (Universities, etc.)

RWCP commissions domestic and overseas universities for collaborative research and development. The following research themes were commissioned during FY1998.

<5> Laboratories at RWI Center

Real World Intelligence R&D is being conducted in collaboration with the Electrotechnical Laboratory's Real World Intelligence Center (RWI Center). The themes and outlines of researches conducted by the 8 laboratories at RWI Center are as follows:

(5) Reference 

<1> MITI's FY1999 Information-Related Budget and RWC Project Budget

MITI is determined to invest greater effort and funds into the development of information-related technologies to keep pace with the rapidly changing world of information technology. This section shows the total of Japan's FY 1999 information-related budget and the share of the RWC Project budget in the total.

<2> Changes in the Amount of Contract Fees

The chart below shows the changes in contract fees that MITI has paid to RWC project for contracted research activities since FY1992.

<3> Members, Directors and Auditors

The following lists RWCP members, directors and auditors for the 1999 project year (from April 1999 to March 2000).