Japan and the U.S. are the global leaders in THz research and nanotechnology. In 2005 they accounted for more than 75% of global investment in nanoscale research. Investment in Japan ($4 billion) exceeded that in the U.S. ($3.4 billion), making Japan the leader.
To further advance THz science and transition new ideas from the lab into commercial products, it is important to stimulate cooperation between these countries. Japan realizes the urgent need to internationalize its scientific enterprise and has committed to spending $70 million over the next ten years to attract leading scientists from around the world.
However, there remain obstacles to such international collaboration, primarily language and cultural barriers that divide our students and researchers. By breaking down these barriers, the already high level of funding in both countries can have an even greater scientific and societal impact, since future generations of researchers will have a better understanding of both the culture and the state-of-the-art technology in each country.
