The geopolitical landscape has undergone significant changes over the past year, particularly in the wake of the inauguration of the second Trump administration. International competition in the field of science, technology, and innovation, has also been reshaped by major developments—for example the announcement of DeepSeek-R1 by a Chinese AI startup, a system said to achieve both low cost and high performance, was a major game-changing moment. Today, the outcomes of cutting edge basic and foundational research are transforming society, while the time required for their practical implementation has drastically shortened, a trend that has accelerated even further in recent years. As the world becomes increasingly complex and diverse, scientific and technological innovation will remain essential for Japan to address its pressing issues and achieve sustainable growth. As the nation’s central agency for implementing science, technology, and innovation policy, JST will continue to fulfill its responsibilities and advance together with society.

This year, we have designated the revitalization of Japan’s research capacity as our highest priority. In addition to generating outcomes in cutting-edge basic and foundational research, we will further promote international talent mobility to raise Japan’s global presence. More specifically, we will reinforce the Center for Research and Development Strategy (CRDS), through a committee composed of leading researchers, to identify priority cutting-edge fields in basic and foundational research. We will use the CRDS to promote initiatives that support advanced science and technology, such as the Strategic Basic Research Programs. This will support researchers engaged in highly original and ambitious research, helping to foster new discoveries and technological breakthroughs.

We will continue to promote joint research programs with leading science-and-technology nations and ASEAN member countries. In addition, to create and expand the foundations for research collaborations with India, we launched an invitation program for young Indian researchers last year. The program has welcomed PhD students and postdoctoral researchers through joint research efforts between laboratories in Japan and India and will continue to expand it in FY2026. Through this initiative, we will support talent mobility, promote knowledge exchange, and foster a robust research environment between the two nations.

At the same time, ensuring research security has become an urgent priority, particularly given the increasing socio-economic impacts of research outcomes, the rising importance of international joint research, and heightened geopolitical tensions. To protect researchers and research outputs while preserving an open research environment, JST will lead national efforts to ensure research security through the JST-TRUST initiative.

We will also continue to focus on a wide range of initiatives: AI for Science (AI to accelerate Science); advancing GX (Green Transformation) technologies; creating innovative information and communication technologies (ICT) and cultivating ICT research talent; increasing the support for university-based startups; fostering young researchers, research management professionals, and science-and-technology policy fellows; and supporting the University for International Research Excellence through the University Fund.

I sincerely ask for your continued support this year.