High-tech Industries Leading the 21st Century |
|
 |
With the establishment of "New Industrial
Cities"and the advancement of the "Technopolis Project"
as the backdrop, steel, chemical and IC-related electric machines
enterprises have opened branches in Oita Prefecture. Some companies
have not just taken on sub-contract positions but have also tried
to improve their own products or technologies based on those adopted
from these enterprises.
A company that used to be a subcon-tractor of one of the steel-related
enterprises for precision cutting was greatly admired for their technology
and was invited to participate in a project of manufacturing weightless
environment test facility for the National Space Development Agency
of Japan. Another company used to make only ordered products, but
developed widely used semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and expanded
their market for semiconductor products not only in Japan but also
worldwide. There is also a company which dramatically changed its
business. While it used to be a subcontracting factory receiving orders
from parent companies as part of an assembly process, it succeeded
in developing and manufacturing semiconductor test equipment. Another
company succeeded in developing their own IC-related products based
on the technological know-how accumulated through the subcontract
works in the assembly test process of IC and ULSI. In this way, technologies
from enterprises of the high-tech industry in Oita Prefecture have
"merged" into local companies, and the local high-tech industry
is growing to support the "Technologically-advanced Prefecture"
and "Intellectual Prefecture" that Oita Prefecture is aiming
to become. |
|
Improvement of the Level of Local Technology |
|
|
| Other examples show the cases of improvement
in technological know-how accumulation in the local society, or the
development of new technology or products derived from the improved
technology. One example is the development of bio-technology based
on fermenting technology. A bio-research o rganization "Usuki
Bio Center" was established by local companies, focusing on fermenting
technology related to fermented soy bean paste and soy saucein Usuki
City. "Usukizyme", a fungal cell walls lytic enzyme, was
developed at the Institute. Another example is the development of
fineceramics based on the lime chemistry. The "Tsukumi Fineceramics
Research Center" was established by companies of lime chemistry
in Tsukumi City. They have borne fruits in the research and development
of lime-related fineceramics and high value-added calcium carbonate,
and joint research is now in progress with Oita University and other
institutions. It thus has high expectations of creating new high-tech
industries by improving and advancing the level of traditional local
technology. Oita Prefecture is taking measures to improve technological
exchanges; by providing support for research and development, human
resource education, exchange among different industries / local enterprises
/ universities, establishment of institutes for research and test
such as "Oita Industrial Research Institute". In order to
support high-tech industrialization, Oita Industrial Research Institute
offers various programs such as technical instruction, educational
training for corporate researchers, support for the development of
trial pieces and research and development of practical technologies.
The "SMC. Co., Ltd", the third sector Saiki City invested
in, also focuses on the growth of high-tech industries and promotes
research and development,educational training, incubate businesses,
as well as technology transfer to the local companies. |
|
|
New Industrial Cities
Oita Northern Core Industrial Park(Bungotakada City)
Toshiba Oita Plant (Oita City)
Oita Industrial Research Institute (Oita City)
Limestone Mountain(Tsukumi City)
SMC. Co., Ltd (Saiki City)
|
