This strategic initiative is to propose a promotion of comprehensive R&D strategy of new information technology system that ultimately values "New Dependability" for assuring the safety and credibility of the information society and enforcing the international competitiveness. The "New Dependability" here means a concept that covers the integration of dependability and security technological fields as well as the relationship with the social system. The "New Dependability" is a universal concept which the information technology should always pursue.

The present society relies on highly advanced information system, and it is no doubt that the dependability should be much higher. Therefore, the service provided by the information system must be of high quality to which the activities of human life and the society can rely on without anxiety. The information handled there should be correct and consistent, and the secrecy of the information must be kept according to the rule. Conventionally, there have been two streams in these researches, dependability and information security. There are many technical fields common to both streams, and it is required to establish a technological system by integrating these two streams in order to truly realize the safe and security society. As this field is deeply connected to the society, it is necessary to have a broad view involving the social system in addition to pursuing technological aspects.

The requirements that the information system should fulfill can be consolidated into following three: "New Dependability"; Figure of Merit (performance per unit energy consumption); and cost. The information systems to this day have been mainly pursuing "the Figure of Merit/Cost." However, the semiconductors are approaching to the limit in physical minuteness, the software are becoming complicated and large in scale that may surpass the human ability, and the assurance of accuracy, consistency, and secrecy of information has become more and more difficult. From this viewpoint, although the necessity of pursuing "Figure of Merit/Cost" may be unchanged in future, it can be said that we are approaching the time for shifting our effort toward the direction that puts more emphasis on the "New Dependability"/Cost. This will create new additional value and market leading to the strengthening of industrial competitiveness. From this viewpoint, this strategic initiative defines the "New Dependability" as a new concept, and advocates the promotion of the field integration.

The strategic initiative proposes detailed research themes and promotion method for the modeling and evaluation method for "New Dependability", and the technique and system design for the realization.

As an examination of extremely broad range is necessary for the "New Dependability", more specific strategic proposals are scheduled to be issued for each technological field in future following the strategic initiative.