Japanese universities have obtained a total of around 2.7 billion yen ($19 million) over nine years since the Defense Ministry started subsidizing security-related technology in fiscal 2015, a Kyodo News tally showed Sunday.
The result suggests that domestic universities, particularly those outside Tokyo, are seeking research funds amid budget constraints, despite growing criticism of the government’s eagerness to expand defense spending to strengthen its capabilities.
As operational subsidies to national universities in Japan continue to decline, the ministry’s program has become an important source of funding for researchers, while the number of students is decreasing against a backdrop of the country’s low birthrate.
An expert, however, expressed concern, saying, “It is essentially a system through which the Defense Ministry uses a substantial budget to draw researchers in. The risk of military applications should be taken into account.”
The Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency under the ministry said the subsidy budget at the beginning of the program was 300 million yen, targeting not only universities but also public research institutes and private companies.
In fiscal 2017, the program was opened to applications for large-scale research projects, raising the total allocation to 11 billion yen. The funding for fiscal 2023 increased to 11.4 billion yen and by the end of the year 22 universities had received subsidies.
Under the program, some universities are working on state-of-the-art projects, such as developing sheets that absorb harmful gases and verifying systems that use artificial intelligence to detect cyberattacks, the ministry said.