The annual Science and Technology in Society Forum, a three-day international gathering of scientists, engineers, university and government officials and corporate heads, kicked off Sunday with discussions on issues ranging from climate change to energy efficiency.
Drawing more than 1,000 participants from 80 countries, the STS Forum, the brainchild of former Finance Minister Koji Omi, who played a key role in formulating a 1995 law on science and technology, began with an address by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on major science and technology issues facing the country.
The prime minister, who is ardently pro-nuclear, avoided contentious domestic political issues related to science and technology policy — including nuclear plant restarts and renewable energy — and instead spoke on fuel cell technology.
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