Research on the TRM Kaizen Method for Governmental Organizations to Apply Technology Roadmapping as a Methodology to Achieve the Goals of Industrial Technology Policy

This article aims to introduce a case study of application and upgrading exercise of technology roadmapping to be introduced for the implementation of industrial science and technology policy. Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) under the supervision of METI cooperated to develop and use technology roadmaps (TRM 1.0), which were conducted during 2005–2010. Based on this first attempt, we propose TRM Kaizen method to improve our methodology from the viewpoint of achieving the goals of industrial technology policy in a more effective and efficient way. Next, we extract the points to be reassessed in the technology roadmapping process based on our experiences of the application of the method. We consecutively propose an amendment, new technology roadmapping (TRM 2.0), with improvements to cope with the points mentioned above after 2014, and implement the technology roadmapping methodology for actual policy. Finally, the results of our practice are tested using TRM Kaizen method, and it is confirmed that issues of (TRM 1.0) have been almost fully resolved. The TRM Kaizen method illustrated in this article can be used as a practical methodology for more sophisticated technology roadmapping from the viewpoint of achieving the goals of industrial technology policy.