In 2026, the Adopting Sustainable Partnerships for Innovative Research Ecosystem (ASPIRE) program marks its fourth year since launch.

ASPIRE aims to become an international center of excellence by forming a network and community of researchers through international joint research with others in partner countries and regions, to foster young researchers who can play an active role in the world and to promote international talent mobility and circulation.

In January 2026, projects in the semiconductor and telecommunications fields supported by ASPIRE held a debriefing session at the JST Tokyo Headquarters Annex. Nearly 100 researchers from Japan and abroad gathered to present their achievements to date, discuss future prospects, and engage in active idea exchange.

At the event, a series of remarkable achievements were reported from teams who produced more internationally co‑authored papers than those authored solely in Japan, teams composed of many early‑career researchers conducting studies abroad, project leaders who were invited to host many lectures, collaborators who successfully brought prominent international conferences to Japan, and more.

As examples of these achievements, it was reported that researchers from ASPIRE FOR TOP SCIENTISTS participated as supporters in events organized by researchers from ASPIRE FOR RISING SCIENTISTS, even in the same field of telecommunications; events were held involving researchers from other JST programs such as FOREST^*1 and SPRING^*2; and Japanese researchers served as central hubs in their fields, connecting researchers from different partner institutions and building substantial relationships. As ASPIRE enters its fourth year, the meeting highlighted the group’s steady progress in creating new collaboration opportunities.

*1 Fusion Oriented REsearch for disruptive Science and Technology

*2 Support for Pioneering Research Initiated by the Next Generation

Young researchers who had traveled overseas shared many observations about the differences in the research environments between Japan and the rest of the world. They noted, “At the partner research institution, staff dedicated to the maintenance of the precision instruments used in research were stationed, and the division of labor allowed researchers to concentrate solely on their research,” “Relationships among professors, researchers, and students were on equal footing, which encouraged lively discussions,” and “Although each researcher pursued a different research theme in the same laboratory, a system was created where everyone cooperated and enhanced each other.”

Meanwhile, some researchers candidly expressed concern, saying that they do not sense much ambition among excellent young researchers in Japan to aim for top-level achievements on the global stage. They discussed this tendency toward introversion. One reason for this is that Japan exhibits a deep-rooted preference for stability, so after graduating from university or graduate school, it is economically better to work for a private company. Therefore, few students choose to continue their research activities. To help young researchers overcome this kind of psychological barrier, one promising idea was to create opportunities for them to inspire one another, such as holding workshops led by students who have conducted research abroad.

In a questionnaire conducted after the meeting, participants expressed positive opinions such as: “I learned a lot from hearing about the activities of other teams and seeing how they presented their outcomes,” “I’m interested in interdisciplinary collaboration,” “I wish there had been more time to freely interact with researchers working on other projects,” and “I was encouraged by the presentations from early‑career researchers.”

ASPIRE will continue to support further enhancement of international collaborative research and international talent mobility and circulation.

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  The program officer facilitates an active discussion.

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  An advisor gives the presenter some advice.

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  Young researchers present
  their overseas research activities.

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  The PI asks a question
  about the young researchers' presentation.