Manufacturing a healthy future

摘要

Japanese industry has traditionally revolved around heavy manufacturing and the supply of industrial parts, but this is changing with the national government's promotion of growth areas such as health and energy. With the Pharma Valley Project, Shizuoka is leading the country in the shift to a new regional economy with a life science focus. Shizuoka's reinvention as a global exporter of health-related technology is well underway, and the region in recent years has claimed the highest output of medical equipment and pharmaceutical products of any region in Japan. The transition from heavy industry such as automobile parts manufacturing to the higher-value market for medical devices, however, has required a sustained effort.