The Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources marked 40 years of the Australia-Japan Science and Technology Treaty last week (27 November).
The Department said Australia and Japan had a longstanding history of collaboration with Australia Japan’s seventh largest partner in scientific co-publications.
“Our complementary R&D capabilities and shared technology priorities make us natural partners in science, technology and innovation,” the Department said.
“Signed in 1980, the Treaty has fostered collaboration between our two countries by linking researchers and institutions,” it said.
“This has facilitated sharing of scientific information.”
The Department said the Treaty had also provided a forum for it and its Japanese counterpart to share policy approaches to growing STEM-skilled workforces.
It said some of the achievements made possible by the partnership included establishing the Australian National Beamline Facility at KEK’s Photon Factory in Tsukuba; long-term collaboration in particle physics; scientific drilling and surveys of the geology below the ocean floor; and the landing of Japan’s Hayabusa I asteroid probe in Woomera, South Australia in 2010.
“Today, Australia and Japan are working together to address shared challenges with science and technology,” it said.
“International collaboration is an important aspect of Australia’s science capability and is critical to growing Australia’s economy.”
The Department said international collaboration supported knowledge exchange, broadened perspective in addressing challenges and generated new ideas for the future.
