The Japanese Computer Industry: Its Roots and Development

Dr. Koji Kobayashi, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Nippon Electric Co. Ltd., visited IIASA on September 27th, 1979 at the invitation of Dr. Jermen Gvishiani, Chairman of IIASA's Council. In the course of his visit he presented the following paper at a seminar attended by members of IIASA's staff as well as some interested visitors from Vienna. Dr. Kobayashi has kindly agreed that his paper should be published as an IIASA Collaborative Paper. The relevance of this paper to IIASA's research interests hardly needs emphasis. The tracing of the development of computers in Japan within the context of the communications industry is of relevance to the work we are undertaking improved scientific communication through computerized networks, teleconferencing, etc. As an intimidating example of a successful innovation process it is of direct value to the Management and Technology task concerned with Innovation. The emphasis that is given to the software problem for the future is an indication of the need for further research into the management/computer interface in the coming decade, on the lines of the task under that heading also being tackled in the Management and Technology Area. But the paper is clearly of interest and significance to a wider public -- and we are proud to issue it as a Collaborative Paper