National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology

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National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
Established	2001
President	Tamotsu Nomakuchi
Admin. staff	3200
Location	Coordinates: 36°03′37″N 140°07′59″E / 36.06024°N 140.13310°E / 36.06024; 140.13310
Campus	Tsukuba, Tokyo, Kyūshū, Chūgoku, Shikoku, Kansai, Chūbu, Tōhoku, Hokkaidō
Former names	Agency of Industrial Science and Technology
Website	www.aist.go.jp

AIST Tokyo Waterfront in Odaiba

The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (産業技術総合研究所, Sangyō Gijutsu Sōgō Kenkyū-jo^?), or AIST, is a Japanese research facility headquartered in Tokyo, and most of the workforce is located in Tsukuba Science City, Ibaraki, and in several cities throughout Japan. The institute is managed to integrate scientific and engineering knowledge to address socio-economic needs. It became a newly designed legal body of independent administrative institution in 2001, remaining under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Three missions of AIST

1. Advanced Research by exploring broad spectra of research fields and integrating multidisciplinary subjects to promote innovation in versatile fields that strengthen the competitiveness of Japanese industries in the world market and create new industries.
2. Interdisciplinary and Cross-Disciplinary Research that enables planning long-range governmental policies by exploiting the current and future needs of society.
3. Basic Research that maintains and strengthens competitiveness of national science and technology by developing and maintaining high standards of scientific and engineering research under the sole responsibility of AIST.

Type-I and Type-II basic researches

The institute attempts to use and integrate scientific and engineering knowledge that is fragmented into various disciplines to address versatile and highly complex socio-economic needs that change rapidly with time.

AIST defines such research as Type-II Basic Research, which integrates multiple disciplines and creates methods for the use of integrated knowledge; traditional basic research is defined as Type-I Basic Research, which is the pursuit and discovery of novel rules, laws and principles that govern natural phenomena.

AIST places its highest priority on the pursuit of complete research, "Full Research", ranging from Type-I Basic Research to the development of products by conducting intensive Type-II Basic Research.

Each Unit of AIST places its highest priorities on establishing an integrated research system that enables researchers with different scientific backgrounds to participate in scenario-oriented research projects to address the needs of society.

Employees

The institute employs researchers of various backgrounds and levels of expertise who carry out research with respect to the three main mission of the institute. The number of employees are as follows:

• Researchers: 2,508

• Tenured researchers: 1,995
• Fixed-term researchers: 513

• Administrative staffs: 717
• Total number of employees: 3,225 (as of April 1, 2005)

Notable scientists

• Hiroyuki Yoshikawa, former President of AIST, University of Tokyo (1993–1997), Science Council of Japan (1997–2003) and International Council for Science (1999–2002)
• Jun Kondo, a famous researcher for the Kondo effect
• Sumio Iijima, the discoverer of the Carbon nanotube
• Yoshinori Tokura, famous for nanotechnology experiments
• Hiromichi Kataura, well known for his research in carbon nanotubes and for the Kataura plot

Products

• HRP-2 Promet, a domestic general helper robot (under development) in joint Humanoid Robotics Project with Kawada Industries
• HRP-4C, a female humanoid robot
• Paro, a baby harp seal robot for therapeutic use
• DeleGate, a multi-purpose application-level gateway / proxy server

See also

• Humanoid Robotics Project
• Independent Administrative Institution (IAI)
• List of Independent Administrative Institutions (Japan)

External links

• AIST Web site
• Humanoid Robotics Group: Humanoid robot HRP-2 Promet and Theage.com, "Robotic helper coming soon"

v t e Independent Administrative Institutions in Japan There are 102 institutions as of April 1, 2012. Bold institutions employ national public servants. Cabinet Office National Archives of Japan | ja:Northern Territories Issue Association | ja:National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications National Institute of Information and Communications Technology | ja:National Statistics Center | ja:Public Foundation for Peace and Consolation | ja:Management Organization for Postal Savings and Postal Life Insurance Ministry of Foreign Affairs Japan International Cooperation Agency | Japan Foundation Ministry of Finance ja:National Research Institute of Brewing | Japan Mint | National Printing Bureau | Commemorative Organization for the Japan World Exposition '70 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology ja:National Institute of Special Education | National Center for University Entrance Examinations | ja:National Institution For Youth Education | ja:National Women's Education Center | National Museum of Nature and Science| National Institute for Materials Science | ja:National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention | ja:National Institute of Radiological Sciences | National Museum | ja:National Institute of Radiological Sciences | ja:National Center for Teachers' Development | ja:Japan Science and Technology Agency | Japan Society for the Promotion of Science | RIKEN | Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency | ja:National Agency for the Advancement of Sports and Health | Japan Arts Council | ja:Japan Student Services Organization | Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology | ja:Institute of National Colleges of Technology |National Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation | ja:Center for National University Finance and Management |Japan Atomic Energy Agency Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare ja:National Institute of Health and Nutrition | ja:National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health | ja:Organization for Workers Retirement Allowance Mutual Aid | ja:Japan Organization for Employment of the Elderly, Persons with Disabilities and Job Seekers | ja:Welfare And Medical Service Agency | ja:National Center for Presons with Severe Intellectual Disabilities, Nozominosono | Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training | ja:Japan Labour Health and Welfare Organization | ja:National Hospital Organization | ja:Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Agency | ja:National Institute of Biomedical Innovation | ja:Readjustment of Facilities for Insured Persons and Beneficiaries Organization | ja:Government Pension Investment Fund |ja:National Cancer Center | ja:National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Hospital | ja:National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry | ja:National Center for Global Health and Medicine | ja:National Center for Child Health and Development | ja:National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontrogy Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries ja:Food and Agricultural Materials Inspection Center | ja:National Center for Seeds and Seedlings | ja:National Livestock Breeding Center | ja:National Fisheries University | ja:National Agriculture and Food Research Organization | ja:National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences | ja:National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences | ja:Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences |ja:Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute | ja:Fisheries Research Agency | ja:Agriculture & Livestock Industries Corporation | ja:Farmer's Pension Fund | ja:Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Credit Foundations Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry ja:Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry | ja:National Center for Industrial Property Information and Training | Nippon Export and Investment Insurance | National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology | National Institute of Technology and Evaluation | New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization | Japan External Trade Organization | ja:Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization | ja:Information-technology Promotion Agency| Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation | ja:Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism ja:Public Works Research Institute | ja:Building Research Institute | ja:National Traffic Safety and Environment Laboratory | ja:National Maritime Research Institute | ja:Port and Airport Research Institute | ja:Electronic Navigation Research Institute | ja:National Institute for Sea Training | ja:Marine Technical Education Agency | ja:Civil Aviation College | ja:National Agency of Vehicle Inspection: | Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency | Japan National Tourism Organization | ja:Japan Water Agency | ja:National Agency for Automotive Safety & Victims' Aid | ja:Organization for Environment Improvement around International Airports |ja:Maritime Disaster Prevention Center | ja:Urban Renaissance Agency | ja:Fund for the Promotion and Development of the Amami Islands | ja:Japan Expressway Holding and Debt Repayment Agency | ja:Japan Housing Finance Agency Ministry of the Environment ja:National Institute for Environmental Studies | ja:Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency Ministry of Defense ja:Labor Management Organization for USFJ Employees Related topics List of Independent Administrative Institutions (Japan) - ja:Law concerning the General Rules of Independent Administrative Institutions - ja:Japanese administrative reforms - ja:Government Revitalization Unit - ja:Japanese government program review - ja:Japanese extra-governmental organizations