The Center for Research and Development Strategy (CRDS) has proposed science, technology, and innovation policies, and research and development (R&D) strategies, and is making efforts toward their realization, through an understanding, overview, and analysis of trends in society and science, technology, and innovation in Japan and overseas. This report describes the noteworthy items extracted from the R&D trends obtained through the above-mentioned activities, taking into consideration their progress as of the end of FY2023.

Some of the topics covered in this report are trends that have been rapidly spotlighted in recent years. Others are trends focused on by the CRDS for about ten years that have gained more importance. This report also discusses what kind of breakthrough exists in each research topic and how it is poised to change the world, as well as what changes can be observed in society's needs that drive R&D.

For details of each research topic, please refer to the previous publications of the CRDS, such as the R&D Panoramic View Report and Strategic Proposals. This report is intended to provide a rough sketch of changes in R&D today grasped from a broad perspective as "trends."

Structure of this Report

The first two chapters provide an overview of the demands from the society that are driving R&D today.
The first chapter illustrates the fact that R&D is driven by the major objective of a transition to a sustainable society. The second chapter shows the concomitant demands for preparing for and handling an increasingly uncertain world and for technology governance.

Along with these societal demands, science and technology have advanced to a higher level, driven by seeds such as new discoveries and inventions. Chapter 3 reviews trends in life sciences and medicine and Chapter 4 reviews those in materials science and manufacturing technology.

New technologies created through R&D are changing society as well as the nature of R&D itself. Chapter 5 shows that science itself is in the process of being transformed by AI and robotics technologies that aim to automate various human tasks using machines. Chapter 6 reviews trends in R&D for such innovations, focusing on computing that is a prerequisite for many recent technological innovations.

The closing chapter, Chapter 7, focuses on the changes seen in how innovation is generated as an important trend similar to the societal expectations that guide R&D, the technological advances realized amid those expectations, and the developments in methodologies and infrastructures of R&D.

This report simply consists of snapshots and qualitative descriptions of R&D trends as of early 2024. For topics you have an interest in, the CRDS recommends that you refer to its various publications and reports that go into strategic proposals in individual areas. It is hoped that this report is used as a tool to provide a cross-cutting overview of R&D trends and to stimulate further discussion and reflection by individuals involved in science and technology in various aspects, including researchers and developers, business leaders, and policy makers.