October 26, 2023
Japan Fair Trade Commission
The Japan Fair Trade Commission (hereinafter referred to as the “JFTC”) will reopen the "Study Group on Innovation and Competition Policy" (hereinafter referred to as the “Study Group”).
1. Objectives and past discussions
(1) Achieving innovation that leads to the creation of innovative products, services and new markets is essential for Japan's sustained economic growth, and ensuring a competition environment that can promote innovation is an important and contemporary policy agenda in competition policy. Given this situation, the JFTC launched the Study Group on Innovation and Competition Policy, (Chair: OKADA Yosuke, Professor, Faculty of Social Innovation, Seijo University) in March 2023, hosted by the Director General of the Economic Affairs Bureau of the JFTC in order to attain a deeper understanding and knowledge of the actual situation of innovation in the context of competition policy, and published an interim report in June 2023.
(2) In the interim report, the Study Group aimed to theoretically and systematically explore the mechanisms by which business conducts affect innovation, based on the expertise in economics and relevant disciplines. The report also proposes that, assuming to use the outcome of the report in the JFTC’s practices, basic perception and viewpoints, including legal treatments, need to be further examined in the context of legal and practical aspects such as the current legal system and frameworks along with interpretation for application of the Antimonopoly Act.
(3) Based on the above, the JFTC will reopen the Study Group in order to further discuss the basic issues on legal frameworks for applying the Antimonopoly Act.
2. Schedule and other notes
(1) The Study Group is composed of the experts listed in the Appendix.
(2) The next (sixth) meeting is held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, October 27th 2023.
(3) While the Study Group is in principle closed to the public in order not to prevent free and vigorous discussion among the members, the summary of the discussion (in Japanese) will be in public promptly after the Study Group is held.
(4) Administrative affairs of the Study Group are handled by the Planning Office of General Affairs Division, Economic Affairs Bureau, General Secretariat, the JFTC.
Appendix
Study Group on Innovation and Competition Policy
List of members
*IKEDA Tsuyoshi Founding Partner, Attorney at Law, IKEDA&SOMEYA
UETAKE Kosuke Associate Professor of Marketing, Yale School of Management
OHYAMA Atsushi Professor, School of Business Administration, Hitotsubashi University
Professor, Institute of Innovation Research, Hitotsubashi University
[Chair]OKADA Yosuke Professor, Faculty of Social Innovation, Seijo University
*TAKIZAWA Sayako Professor, Graduate Schools for Law and Politics, the University of Tokyo
FUKUNAGA Keita Director, AlixPartners Asia, LLC.
MATSUSHIMA Noriaki Professor, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University
*MATSUDA Serina Partner, Attorney at Law, Abe, Ikubo & Katayama
MIYAI Masaaki Professor, College of Law, Ritsumeikan University
[In the order of the Japanese syllabary, as of October 26, 2023]
(*) Participated as observers until the fifth meeting
