How does the establishment of new university educational programs promote
university-industry joint research in the field of life sciences and
biotechnology? To study this question, we first compile the data on the
establishment of new undergraduate and graduate programs in the field of
life sciences and biotechnology in Japanese universities since the 1950s.
Then, using this data, we analyze statistically whether and how such
establishment contributed to the undertaking and frequency of
university-industry joint research in biotechnology. The results suggest
that, first, the expansion of such university programs in fact contributed
to the promotion of university-industry joint research and, second, these
collaborations increased following the 1998 legislation to promote
technology transfer from universities (the so-called TLO Act) and the 1999
legislation to allow universities to retain rights on their inventions made
from government research funds (the so-called Japanese Bayh-Dole Act).