The Agreement between the Government of Norway and the Government of Japan on Co-operation in Science and Technology was signed on 27 May 2003, as a formal framework for bilateral science and technology cooperation.
Under the bilateral agreement, seven rounds of Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) have taken place to date, where we share updates on developments in the field of science technology, as well as innovation policies, and exchange views on current collaborative activities. The most recent meeting, the 7th JCM, was held online on 16 November 2021
Under the agreement Norway and Japan have agreed on the following priority areas for cooperation based on relevance and excellence:
- energy and the environment
- space and polar research
- marine research
- nanotechnology and new materials
- health, care and welfare technology
The bilateral cooperation agreement contributes to strengthening networks between researchers and creating new research cooperation opportunities in the priority areas.
Several agreements on bilateral research cooperation have been signed between research institutions and universities in both countries throughout the years. These institutional agreements provide concrete platforms for building close institutional relationships beyond co-publication and researcher-to-researcher cooperation. The agreements also contribute to strengthen the visibility of the cooperation, to attract students, fellow scientists, and industry partners for future networks.
Cooperation between funding institutions in both countries provides the necessary schemes to support cooperation and joint activities financially. Over the last 20 years, successful development has been observed in long-term relationships that provides the predictability needed for Norwegian and Japanese companies to engage in the ongoing cooperation, taking research-based knowledge to the market.
The integrated approach across the knowledge triangle between research, innovation and industry, is evident in many of the long-term Norwegian-Japanese partnerships that have been funded through programs such as INTPART and UTFORSK.
The priority of Japan as a partner for research and academic cooperation is elaborated in the on-going Norwegian long term policy for bilateral cooperation on higher education and research with key partner countries outside the EU, the Panorama Strategy (2021–2027).