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| What the Takeda Award Aims to Achieve |
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| Ikuo Takeda |
The Takeda Award is given to individuals who have made significant
contributions to scientific and technological achievements that enhance the value
of human life and lead to an increase in wealth, richness, and happiness of life
for humanity.
In the so-called "second industrial revolution," local economic systems
developed into national economic systems. Now, in the "third industrial revolution,"
national economic systems are transforming into an international economic system.
In this process, the way in which markets respond to the needs of people will
be the key to prosperous development. The creation and application of engineering
intellect and knowledge, as well as growth in techno-entrepreneurial spirit, are
indispensable for its realization.
The Takeda Award will be given to exceptional individuals who have made significant
contributions to the creation of engineering intellect and knowledge. Engineering
intellect and knowledge can be generated through combinations of various types
of knowledge, including the establishment of new scientific knowledge, the formation
of new algorithms, the use of new ideas, the proper management of organizations,
and the capture of market needs.
For example, the 2001 Takeda Awardees in the field of Social and Economic Well-Being
have created new engineering intellect and knowledge in the form of open development
models for system software. Their achievement enabled a free and open method for
development of software, resulting in an expanded and improved market.
Wealth and richness in this context do not refer solely to money. In the 20th
Century, the world experienced vicious cycles of over-investment that created
economic bubbles and resulted in long-lasting economic recessions. The world has
seen many economic bubbles and recessions, such as the recession in the United
States in the late 1970s, the bubble in Japan experienced in the late 1980s, and
the information technology related bubble and new recession that occurred worldwide
at the turn of the century.
It turns out that mere money games never produce real wealth and richness for
people. Wealth and richness in this context means a happy life itself that people
can lead and can be obtained through technological innovations created by engineering
intellect and knowledge. However, wealth and richness cannot be achieved automatically
by the creation of engineering intellect and knowledge alone. Ultimately, it is
techno-entrepreneurship that brings wealth and richness to people. For this reason,
the Foundation focuses on techno-entrepreneurship.
Engineering intellect and knowledge needs first to be provided in a form that
is usable in the market, then to be tested in the market, and finally to produce
wealth and richness through transactions in the market. In this way, techno-entrepreneurship
forms a bridge between engineering intellect and knowledge and the market. In
other words, techno-entrepreneurship is the driving force behind engineering intellect
and knowledge, the challenging spirit to overcome risks.
In the first half of the 20th Century, the world witnessed many wars, including
two World Wars that destroyed many lives and an enormous amount of wealth. However,
through deep reflection and a sincere search for peace, people throughout the
world strived to develop their countries, and as a result, growing prosperity
can be seen in many countries and places.
During the process of post-war recovery, the world saw a long lasting conflict
between two economic systems - capitalism and socialism. Through this conflict,
people have learned that the latter does not produce wealth for people. In the
era of a global society, people, money, and information can and must transfer
freely from country to country despite the existence of geographical borders.
In addition, true wealth and richness can be produced only in nations that possess
a mature market.
Techno-entrepreneurship is shared by those who provide social bases for technological
innovations without making a profit for themselves, as well as by those engaged
in profit-making enterprises. Examples of the former include the Takeda Award
recipients in the Environment Well-Being field, who have provided practical ways
to resolve environmental problems by creating the concept of an eco-rucksack.
Examples of the latter include the Takeda Award recipients in the Individual and
Humanity Well-Being field, who created both engineering intellect and knowledge
and a venture company.
The Takeda Foundation has decided to create awards in fields which people find
especially important - information technology, life sciences, and the world environment.
Our view is that the wealth to be built in these markets in the 21st Century will
be several times greater than that existing in the 20th Century.
The Foundation hopes that the Takeda Award will promote the creation of engineering
intellect and knowledge and techno-entrepreneurship, thus creating new markets.
Through this process, the Foundation hopes that the award will contribute to an
increase in wealth and richness for people. In summary, the Foundation seeks to
contribute to the happiness of human beings in the 21st Century by sending a message
that promotes engineering intellect and knowledge and techno-entrepreneurship.
This is my sincere wish and prayer for the remainder of my life.
This year 2001 falls on the centennial year of the Nobel Prize, which was born
in 1901. The date is therefore very meaningful to me. As a last word, I would
like to express my heartfelt gratitude to those who participated in the processes
of nominating and selecting the achievements and recipients, and would I would
like to ask our friends and colleagues to foster this new award in the era ahead.
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| 9/1/01 |
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