I am pleased that the final event of the Japan Festival 2001 is devoted to science. I am sure that it will be a stimulating and successful addition to the Festival.
Many of the exhibits here today would have been science fiction only a decade or two ago, today they are science fact and soon they will be everyday features in our lives.
Tonight we are lucky to be able to glimpse the world of tomorrow.
The Government has an important role to play in encouraging the health of the science base
- in funding basic and strategic research
- in encouraging the exploitation of knowledge and new technologies
- and in helping the consumer by ensuring that scientific progress always takes account of their views and values
But the real work is done by companies like those who are exhibiting here. Taking advances in science and producing the goods and services that add value to our lives.
Britain is home to a strong science base. Japan has long recognised this. Back in 1866 a mission was sent from Japan to buy textile machinery from Platt Brothers of Oldham (then the world's largest manufacturer) and a few years later the Emperor of Japan sent the Iwakura fact-finding missions to Europe and America to study our technology.
Today we continue to have an outstanding record of discovery with 1% of the world's population we do 4.5% of the world's science, produce 8% of the world's scientific papers and receive 9% of the citations of those papers. Increasingly we are also exploiting the excellence of our science base.
The recent HEI/Business Interaction survey showed that:
(a) In 1999-2000 there were 199 spin-off firms from HEIs compared with average of 70 a year in previous 5 years.
(b) Total patents filed by HEIs increased by 22% from 1259 in 1998/99 to 1534 in 1999/2000 [594 total patents filed in 1996/97]
(c) Proportion of HEI research income from business was 12.3% in 1999/2000 up from 10.9% in 1995/96 [US 10.1% in FY99].
There is still however much that we need to learn about product innovation and many of the companies represented here tonight such as NTT, Sony and Toyota are among the most innovative in the world. You provide important models for others to follow.
Japan and Britain make good partners in science and business. We are both economically highly developed countries with an important global role. We must look to delivering high-value goods and services. Japanese inward investors recognise the benefits of partnership with the UK. I am delighted that the UK hosts 161 Japanese R&D and design facilities.
Investment is not just in one direction. Patricia Hewitt visited Japan a couple of weeks ago. She met a cluster of UK software companies based in the British Industry Centre in Yokohama. She also met Cable and Wireless and Vodafone, both of whom have significant investments and partnerships in Japan. Vodafone is now Japan's largest foreign investor.
Partnership between countries, companies and universities enable us to progress faster. I have seen this myself at meetings of the UK/Japan high tech forum which provides an excellent annual opportunity for both us to share ideas and experience.
Finally and most important, I would like to thank NTT, Sony and Toyota for letting us see their latest technologies. I am very much looking forward to seeing the exhibition. I would like to extend my thanks to Mr Hatakeyama and JETRO, Mr Ikuta and METI and Sir Peter and the Science Museum for staging this significant event. And can I also thank Trade Partners UK, Invest.UK and the Japan Keirin Association for their support towards this reception.
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