While there are many aspects to shaping and implementing a science, technology, and innovation ecosystem, this survey focuses primarily on the function of research equipment and devices (hereinafter referred to as "research equipment") within research infrastructures. This is because with the advancement of science and technology, research fields and topics are becoming more diverse, requiring increasingly advanced research equipment. In addition, as the digital transformation (DX) of research progresses on a global scale, advanced research infrastructures, including research equipment and computing, software, and data tools, are clearly the driving force of science, technology and innovation. It is undeniable that such infrastructures will allow for better performance and accelerated research outcomes. So long as research institutions have the necessary financial resources, they should be able to make use of such research equipment. And when research equipment is made available through shared research infrastructure, there need to be systems in place and appropriate environments to promote free access and utilization. However, in many fields, Japan depends on imported research equipment, and as a result, the introduction of advanced equipment in particular has lagged by several years behind those countries where the equipment is manufactured, causing in some cases significant delay in achieving research outcomes. The high cost of procuring research equipment also puts Japan at a disadvantage in conducting competitive research.

Japanese industry, academia, and the government have undertaken various initiatives to promote R&D and procurement and facilitate the sharing of research equipment. In this report, after reviewing these initiatives, we conducted a new survey of specific cases through interviews with stakeholders. The first case study focuses on an NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) instrument and the second case study is on a laser scanning Raman microscope. Other unique cases, such as a two-dimensional display spherical mirror analyzer, scanning tunneling microscope, magnetic field-free transmission electron microscope, laser ionization mass spectrometer, and AI-driven cell analysis and separation device, are described separately in boxed texts.

Out of these case studies and related JST-CRDS reports have emerged the following eight issues, notable among them, insufficient opportunities for unsolved scientific problems and new technology ideas to intersect, lack of an environment conducive to creating new technology seeds that will lead to concrete technological developments, and insufficient user experience (UX) and design capabilities for advanced and new devices.

Eight issues in creating an ecosystem of research infrastructures in Japan

• - Declining user ability to use new technologies (tendency to prefer products and services that are widely known)
• - Insufficient opportunities for unsolved scientific problems and new technology ideas to intersect
• - A failure to take the initiative in seeking out the potential value and possibility of new ideas (segmentation of domains and absence of responsible organizations)
• - Difficulties in developing challenging and high-risk new technologies and equipment (funding, environment, human resources assessment)
• - Lack of an environment conducive to creating new technology seeds that will lead to concrete technological developments
• - Lack of companies (both large companies and start-ups) willing to take on high-risk development; lack of international competitiveness
• - Insufficient user experience (UX) and design capabilities for advanced and new devices
• - Insufficient initiatives for interaction between industry, academia, and government in the early stages of market introduction

What initiatives can be taken to address these issues? Of course, they must be considered in the context of global trends as well as Japan's circumstances, and to this end, this report focuses on efforts in Europe. In 2024, JST-CRDS published a report titled, "Issues in the Development of Advanced Research Tools and Equipment; Towards a New Research Paradigm: Implementation and Ecosystem Formation," which looked at trends in the U.S., Germany, and China. This time, it has been decided to focus on Europe as the EU has a long history of developing comprehensive initiatives for research infrastructures through collaboration between industry, academia, and the government.

The research infrastructure measures in the EU are characterized by the following points. The EU and its member states contribute funding for the development and update of research infrastructures based on a roadmap for the next 10 to 20 years. The ERIC consortium is utilized to promote the development and use of research equipment and foster the development of new research areas.

In developing an original ecosystem of research infrastructures in Japan, we believe that it would be effective to consider such measures as, for example, facilitating dialog and co-creation among research infrastructures and stakeholders, collaborating on projects with diverse actors (SMEs, start-ups, software developers), giving consideration to the "three elements" of research infrastructure projects (transnational access, networking, research), as well as to current specific programs and shared use.

Characteristics of research infrastructure measures in EU

• - Development of a roadmap for pan-European research infrastructures and funding according to the roadmap
• - Broad range of research areas covered by the roadmap for pan-European research infrastructures
• - Consensus building through an ESFRI forum consisting of the EC and national representatives and strategic working group of researchers in six research areas
• - Efforts to develop an open research data system in research infrastructures
• - Transparency in the process of developing the roadmaps
• - Facilitating dialog and co-creation among research infrastructures and stakeholders
• - Giving consideration to the three elements of research infrastructure projects (transnational access, networking, research)
• - Collaborating on projects with diverse actors (SMEs, start-ups, software developers)
• - Improving organizational capabilities by adopting a legal consortium framework (ERIC)
• - Implementing innovation procurement as a mechanism in the early stage of market introduction

Issues identified in previous JST-CRDS reports are even more important now and have been reiterated in this new research report.

• (in Japanese) Towards an Ecosystem of Research Infrastructures: R&D, Procurement, Facilitation, and Sharing of Research Equipment and Devices in Japan and Europe - The Beyond Disciplines Collection -