National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
産業技術総合研究所

Research institute overview
Formed	2001
Preceding Research institute	Agency of Industrial Science and Technology
Headquarters	Tokyo, Japan Coordinates: 36°03′37″N 140°07′59″E / 36.06024°N 140.13310°E / 36.06024; 140.13310
Employees	2,949
Research institute executive	Ryoji Chubashi, President
Parent department	Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry
Website	aist.go.jp

AIST Tokyo Waterfront in Odaiba

The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (産業技術総合研究所, Sangyō Gijutsu Sōgō Kenkyū-sho), or AIST, is a Japanese research facility headquartered in Tokyo, and most of the workforce is located in Tsukuba Science City, Ibaraki, and in several cities throughout Japan. The institute is managed to integrate scientific and engineering knowledge to address socio-economic needs. It became a newly designed legal body of independent administrative institution in 2001, remaining under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

History

In its present form AIST was established in 2001. However its predecessor institutes have been operating since 1982. In 2015, it is running more than 40 researching institutes and several branches over Japan including International Metrology Cooperation Office.^[1]

Three missions of AIST

1. Advanced Research by exploring broad spectra of research fields and integrating multidisciplinary subjects to promote innovation in versatile fields that strengthen the competitiveness of Japanese industries in the world market and create new industries.
2. Interdisciplinary and Cross-Disciplinary Research that enables planning long-range governmental policies by exploiting the current and future needs of society.
3. Basic Research that maintains and strengthens competitiveness of national science and technology by developing and maintaining high standards of scientific and engineering research under the sole responsibility of AIST.

Type-I and Type-II basic research

The institute attempts to use and integrate scientific and engineering knowledge that is fragmented into various disciplines to address versatile and highly complex socio-economic needs that change rapidly with time.

AIST defines such research as Type-II Basic Research, which integrates multiple disciplines and creates methods for the use of integrated knowledge; traditional basic research is defined as Type-I Basic Research, which is the pursuit and discovery of novel rules, laws and principles that govern natural phenomena.

AIST places its highest priority on the pursuit of complete research, "Full Research", ranging from Type-I Basic Research to the development of products by conducting intensive Type-II Basic Research.

Each Unit of AIST places its highest priorities on establishing an integrated research system that enables researchers with different scientific backgrounds to participate in scenario-oriented research projects to address the needs of society.

Employees

The institute employs researchers of various backgrounds and levels of expertise who carry out research with respect to the three main mission of the institute. The number of employees are as follows:

• Researchers: 2,288

• Tenured researchers: 2,046
• Fixed-term researchers: 242

• Administrative staffs: 661
• Total number of employees: 2,949 (as of April 1, 2012)

Geological Survey of Japan

The Geological Survey of Japan (GSJ) was created from geoscientific research units within AIST in 2001 to replace the old GSJ created in 1882.^[2]

Notable scientists

• Hiroyuki Yoshikawa, former President of AIST, University of Tokyo (1993–1997), Science Council of Japan (1997–2003) and International Council for Science (1999–2002)
• Jun Kondo, a famous researcher for the Kondo effect
• Sumio Iijima, the discoverer of the Carbon nanotube
• Yoshinori Tokura, famous for nanotechnology experiments
• Hiromichi Kataura, well known for his research in carbon nanotubes and for the Kataura plot
• Satoshi Hirano, author of HORB middleware

Products

• HRP-2 Promet, a domestic general helper robot (under development) in joint Humanoid Robotics Project with Kawada Industries
• HRP-4C, a female humanoid robot
• Paro, a baby harp seal robot for therapeutic use
• DeleGate, a multi-purpose application-level gateway / proxy server

See also

• Humanoid Robotics Project
• Independent Administrative Institution (IAI)
• List of Independent Administrative Institutions (Japan)

References

External links

• AIST Web site
• Humanoid Robotics Group: Humanoid robot HRP-2 Promet and Theage.com, "Robotic helper coming soon"

Incorporated Administrative Agencies in Japan
There are 102 institutions as of April 1, 2012. Bold institutions employ national public servants.
Cabinet Office	National Archives of Japan ja:Northern Territories Issue Association ja:National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications	National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) ja:National Statistics Center ja:Public Foundation for Peace and Consolation ja:Management Organization for Postal Savings and Postal Life Insurance
Ministry of Foreign Affairs	Japan International Cooperation Agency Japan Foundation
Ministry of Finance	ja:National Research Institute of Brewing Japan Mint National Printing Bureau Commemorative Organization for the Japan World Exposition '70
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology	ja:National Institute of Special Education National Center for University Entrance Examinations ja:National Institution For Youth Education ja:National Women's Education Center National Museum of Nature and Science National Institute for Materials Science ja:National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention ja:National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology National Museum ja:National Institute of Radiological Sciences ja:National Center for Teachers' Development ja:Japan Science and Technology Agency Japan Society for the Promotion of Science RIKEN Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency ja:National Agency for the Advancement of Sports and Health Japan Arts Council ja:Japan Student Services Organization Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology ja:Institute of National Colleges of Technology National Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation Japan Atomic Energy Agency
Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare	ja:National Institute of Health and Nutrition ja:National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health ja:Organization for Workers Retirement Allowance Mutual Aid ja:Japan Organization for Employment of the Elderly, Persons with Disabilities and Job Seekers ja:Welfare And Medical Service Agency ja:National Center for Presons with Severe Intellectual Disabilities, Nozominosono Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training ja:Japan Labour Health and Welfare Organization ja:National Hospital Organization ja:Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Agency ja:National Institute of Biomedical Innovation ja:Readjustment of Facilities for Insured Persons and Beneficiaries Organization ja:Government Pension Investment Fund ja:National Cancer Center ja:National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Hospital ja:National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry ja:National Center for Global Health and Medicine ja:National Center for Child Health and Development ja:National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontrogy
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries	ja:Food and Agricultural Materials Inspection Center ja:National Center for Seeds and Seedlings ja:National Livestock Breeding Center ja:National Fisheries University ja:National Agriculture and Food Research Organization ja:National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences ja:National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences ja:Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences ja:Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute ja:Fisheries Research Agency ja:Agriculture & Livestock Industries Corporation ja:Farmer's Pension Fund ja:Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Credit Foundations
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry	ja:Information-Technology Promotion Agency ja:Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry ja:National Center for Industrial Property Information and Training Nippon Export and Investment Insurance National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology National Institute of Technology and Evaluation New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization Japan External Trade Organization ja:Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization ja:Information-technology Promotion Agency Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation ja:Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism	ja:Public Works Research Institute ja:Building Research Institute ja:National Traffic Safety and Environment Laboratory ja:National Maritime Research Institute ja:Port and Airport Research Institute ja:Electronic Navigation Research Institute ja:National Institute for Sea Training ja:Marine Technical Education Agency ja:Civil Aviation College ja:National Agency of Vehicle Inspection: Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency Japan National Tourism Organization ja:Japan Water Agency ja:National Agency for Automotive Safety & Victims' Aid ja:Organization for Environment Improvement around International Airports ja:Maritime Disaster Prevention Center ja:Urban Renaissance Agency ja:Fund for the Promotion and Development of the Amami Islands ja:Japan Expressway Holding and Debt Repayment Agency ja:Japan Housing Finance Agency
Ministry of the Environment	ja:National Institute for Environmental Studies ja:Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency
Ministry of Defense	ja:Labor Management Organization for USFJ Employees
Related topics	ja:Act on General Rules for Independent Administrative Agency List of Independent Administrative Institutes in Japan ja:Japanese administrative reforms ja:Government Revitalization Unit ja:Japanese government program review ja:Japanese extra-governmental organizations