Research in Japanese Construction Industry

In-house research by private companies is fundamental to the technological advancement of the Japanese construction industry. Shortly after World War II several of the largest construction companies established research institutes. These institutes have since grown and become an integral part of Japanese construction. Many have laboratories with highly educated professional research staffs working with large-scale and technologically complex research equipment that makes them among the best construction research facilities in the world. This research transcends all disciplines related to construction and a large fraction is similar to the fundamental and applied research one finds in U.S. universities. This research enjoys strong top-management support and the research institutes are recognized as important resources by the operations personnel in the companies. Benefits and incentives include creation of new markets, solving practical field problems, corporate prestige, gaining a keener competitive edge, substantiating claims, proving compliance with regulations, and advancing Japan to the forefront of world construction technology.