Economic Impact of ICT in the Ubiquitous Information Age

本研究旨在探讨泛在信息时代ICT的影响，并区分其与20世纪90年代的特征。它们是（1）对技术的使用和生产的分析，不仅关注硬件，而且关注软件和内容;（2）对三个主要经济主体的分析：企业、消费者和政府。然后运用总量生产函数模型和增长核算模型进行宏观经济分析，运用投入产出表进行产业层面分析，本研究揭示，随着宽带互联网使用的迅速普及，信息时代的到来沿着着宽带互联网的迅速普及，信息时代的发展趋势之一，自2002年以来，推动日本经济复苏的主要因素是ICT的新需求和生产，特别是在新的数字消费电子和宽带互联网业务领域。因此，日本在信息经济的某些领域具有全球竞争优势。也就是说，信息的普及和宽带化趋势为日本企业家带来了新的市场和商机，但日本经济仍然面临着一些挑战。这就是企业改革和体制改革。这些改革并不是新的挑战，而是自1990年代以来一直需要的。不彻底的企业改革不会使日本企业充分利用信息技术的优势，不彻底的制度改革也不会给企业带来繁荣的商机。本研究的结论是，如果日本成功地适应了无处不在的信息时代，它可以实现两倍半或更多的经济增长。

Purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of ICT in the ubiquitous information age and to distinguish its features from those in the 1990s.In this research, we first established an analytical framework. They are (1) analysis on both use and production of the technology focusing on not only hardware but also software and content, and (2) analysis on three major economic agents ; firms, consumers, and governments. Then we conduct macroeconomic analysis based on aggregate production function model and growth accounting model, industry level analysis based on Input-Output table, and micro level analysis based on empirical studies from questionnaire as well as interviews for the various fields of the business I sectors and government agencies.This study reveals that ubiquitous information age goes along with rapid pervasion of broadband internet use and that one of the factors that has driven Japan's economic recovery since 2002 is new demand and production of the ICT, especially in the field of new digital consumer electronics and broadband internet businesses. Consequently, Japan has an advantage of the global competition in some area of the information economy. In other words, ubiquitous and broadband information trends generate new markets and business opportunities for the Japanese entrepreneurs.Japanese economy, however, still has several challenges that should be overcome. They are corporate reforms and institutional reforms. These reforms are not new challenges but have been required since 1990s. Incomplete corporate reform will not lead Japanese firms to reap the full advantages of information technology and incomplete institutional reform will not provide prosperous business opportunities for the firms. This research concludes that Japan can achieve two and half or more economic growth if it successfully adapts itself for the ubiquitous information age.