Support system that foster human resources for university start-ups in Japan

Abstract

Since the late 1990s, Japan has followed the cloning Silicon Valley model typified by American-style technology, capital, and systems, with a major focus on technology transfer, patent revenues, and the makeup of funding. However, the University of Tokyo, which has formed entrepreneurial clusters, has constructed an ecosystem built on technology agglomeration by educating its undergraduate and graduate students and forming a support network for alumni employed at financial institutions, major corporations, and central government offices. In forming an ecosystem for industry–academia collaboration, it is crucial to understand start-ups, even if not starting a business oneself, and to educate and develop human resources that can function throughout society.

Keywords

• university start-ups
• technology transfer
• cloning silicon valley
• venture ecosystem