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Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) Group runs 12 research
laboratories nationwide. Among them, NTT Communications Science
Laboratories and NTT Basic Research Laboratories are engaged
in conducting basic research. NTT Basic Research Laboratories
was headed by Dr. Ishihara until June 2003. NTT Basic Research
Laboratories has been conducting basic research to generate
breakthroughs under its basic research policy, "From
NT (Nanotechnology) to QIT (Quantum Information Technology),"
making use of new knowledge and discoveries in device physics,
quantum solid-state physics and functional materials science.
Dr. Ishihara says, "In order to encourage innovative
research works leading to big impacts, research managers at
NTT Basic Research Laboratories tell the researchers and engineers
that they do not have to create new technologies or products
in a short time as fruits of their basic research. Unfortunately,
considerable numbers of researches in Japan have remained
in second runner in the past 20 years, although pioneering
basic research has been said to be important in Japan since
around 1980s. I think this has happened mainly because of
the attitude of top management that expects basic research
to achieve quick results too much, leading to the development
of commercial products."
Research on optical fiber networks,
which have already spread extensively in the world, is a good
example. In 1970s, nothing could be seen through a one-meter-thick
glass plate. Therefore, no one believed the possibility of
an optical long-distance communication by transmitting light
through a glass fiber at that time. Dr. Ishihara says, "Since
then, almost 30 years have passed. Everybody now understands
that this was very useful basic research. The same goes for
research on developing quantum computers. This kind of basic
research should also be evaluated in the long-term. The issue
for the government and companies now is how much they can
take risks to invest in basic research." Nippon Telegraph
and Telephone Corporation, the holding company of the NTT
group, spends about 200 billion yen on research and development
annually. While many companies are reducing their investment
in basic research due to bad economical situation, NTT allocates
5% of its R&D budget to basic research. He says, "It
is argued these days that "central research laboratory"
based R&D management in which companies hold all the R&D
functions from basic research to product development within
the companies is out-of-date.
I wonder if that is truly good for a company because we have
to understand that core knowledge, which is the source of
the companies' core competence, should be created inside the
companies to be more competitive as a whole. We are now said
to be entering into the era of knowledge."
Dr.
Ishihara became involved in nanotechnology about 25 years
ago.
"I used to be a mechanical engineer," he says. "When
I studied steppers for synchrotron-based x-ray lithography,
I worked on a friction-free wafer positioning table that fully
utilizes air bearings.
My first prototype had a step motion of 4.5 nm with an air
bearing lead screw. As an engineer, I enjoyed this research
aimed at mechanical ultra-precision." He adds "the
simplest way to motivate researchers to concentrate on their
studies is to encourage them to pursue ultimate aim of their
research like I pursued mechanical ultra- precision. Nanotechnology
is a very good field for setting ultimate goals to continue
their efforts. But sometimes pursuing the extremes may be
difficult to bring out novel perspectives on their research.
In addition to pursuing the extremes, research to create new
concepts should be cherished as an outstanding research goal.
Research on very new themes such as quantum computers, which
need new concepts and ideas, is also crucial." For improving
Japan's basic research, training people to find new goals
by solving new problems is an urgent task.
(Interviewer: Kuniko Ishiguro, Cosmopia Inc.）
For more information,
http://www.nanonet.go.jp/english/mailmag/2004/030a.html
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