Japan Drafts New Measures against Tech Leakage on Government Funded R&D Projects

The Yomiuri Shimbun

21:00 JST, March 5, 2026

The government has compiled new draft measures to prevent technology leakage, in an effort to improve economic security in connection with state-supported research and development programs, it has been learned.

The measures will mandate advance consultation and reporting to the government if it is determined that a partner in a collaborative research or development program is under the influence of a foreign government and there is a risk of research details or other information being leaked.

The government assumes that there is a possibility of technology leakage when presenting or disclosing research content to collaborating partners or when conducting R&D in other countries. If a partner has violated U.N. resolutions or international standards in the past five years, and leakage is deemed possible, advance consultation and reporting will be required.

Amid repeated leaks of sensitive technologies which Japan leads in the development of, such as semiconductors and rechargeable batteries, strengthening leak prevention measures has become an urgent priority. The government has already taken measures, such as requiring strict controls over employees who have access to critical technologies, when soliciting applications for supported R&D programs.