7 March 2008
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology

JAMSTEC and AIST Conclude Comprehensive Cooperation Agreement On Coordination and Cooperation
-Promote Integration of Different Fields on Marine Research-

1.Outline

The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC; Yasuhiro Kato, President) and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST; Hiroyuki Yoshikawa, President) concluded comprehensive cooperation agreement on collaboration and cooperation on March 7.

This agreement aims to contribute to both institutes’ development and improvement of marine-science technology by smooth communication and close collaboration of each other’s research field. By this agreement, systematic cooperation becomes possible when JAMSTEC and AIST conduct research and development.

JAMSTEC operates several research infrastructures such as marine research vessels and vehicles, and has been carrying out wide range of research and development in the field of marine-science technology. AIST has been contributing to disaster prevention and marine resource development through international collaborative researches on interaction between animals and geological conditions at the hydrothermal field on the seafloor, the research through marine research observation including basic research on great earthquakes at Kuril trench, as well as publication of marine geological map.

From now on, based on this agreement, JAMSTEC and AIST are going to start shared use of research infrastructures such as vessels and enhance exchange of researchers in various fields. It is expected that these activities would develop ocean research in Japan and the achievement would be returned to our society through ocean development.

2. Background

The Basic Act on Ocean Policy*1 enacted in April, 2007 states basic principles about sustainable “Harmonization of development and use of ocean with conservation of marine environment” and “Improvement of scientific knowledge of ocean”. And its basic measures are “Promotion of development and use of ocean resources”, “Promotion of ocean survey/ research and development of ocean science and technology”, “Promotion of ocean industries and strengthening the international competitiveness”, etc. Ocean, including coastal areas, is research target of various fields and still has many unexplored parts.

3.Circumstances

Until now, JAMSTEC and AIST concluded individual collaborative agreement for each subject. Collaborative researches have been conducted widely on such as researches utilizing research submersibles/ vessels and tasks under the Expenditures for Promoting Science and Technology. For example, “Urgent Underwater Survey of the Sumatra Earthquake Source Area” was carried out right after the earthquake as one of our collaborative researches. Now the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP)*2 and the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP)*3 are progressing. Through implementation of such researches, JAMSTEC and AIST have reached to the conclusion to make the agreement on systematic and comprehensive coordination, for not only participation, but also contribution to the promotion of international projects, exchange of researchers, continuation of relatively long-term study, and promotion of collaboration on researches including new joint study requires integration of different fields.

4.Contents of the agreement

• Conduct collaborative researches and studies on each other’s research fields
• Mutual support and joint implementation of information release
• Shared use of research facilities and equipment
• Promotion of mutual exchange including research exchange by researchers

5.Future plan

After the conclusion of the agreement, each research department of JAMSTEC and AIST will draw up research and development theme together and start making concrete plan in the form of the collaborative research.

Now, we aim to give back our achievement to the society through the development of ocean research and ocean development in Japan by mutual and shared use of dynamic or human resources.

*1 Basic Act on Ocean Policy

The purpose of this Act is to stipulate basic principles, promote measures with regard to oceans comprehensively and in planned manner, for sound development of nation’s economic society and improvement of people’s stable life, aiming to contribute to harmonization of ocean and human beings. It enacted in April and took in effect in July, 2007. Based on this policy, Headquarters for Ocean Policy (Director-General: Prime Minister) has been established and draft of Basic Plan on Ocean Policy is currently underway.

*2 Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP)

The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) is an international marine research drilling program dedicated to advancing scientific understanding of Earth by monitoring and sampling subseafloor environments. Through multiple platforms, preeminent scientists explore IODP principal themes: the deep biosphere, environmental change, and solid earth cycles. IODP has started since October 2003, led mainly by Japan and the USA. IODP now has 21 member countries.

*3 International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP)

ICDP is an international project to promote various kinds of scientific land drilling program, which was established in 1996 to know the history of global change and to grasp the process of underground activities. Supporting drilling projects designed to elucidate basic questions of earth science at interesting geological site on a global basis. Currently it has 15 member countries which are German, USA, China, Japan, Poland, Mexico, Canada, Austria, Iceland, Czech Republic, Norway, Finland, South African Republic, Italy, and Spain. Representative of Japan is the Japan Agency for Marin-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC).

Contacts:

(For the agreement)

Eiichi Kikawa
Manager, Knowledge Infrastructure Division, Planning Department
The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology

(For publication)

Shinji Oshima, e-mail: press@jamstec.go.jp
Manager, Planning Department Press Office
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology