Overview

Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI) is a Japanese policy think tank established in 2001. It conducts empirical and theoretical research to inform government decision-making and strengthen evidence-based economic, trade, and industrial policy in Japan and internationally.

Mission and focus areas

RIETI’s mission is to generate policy insights that promote sustainable economic growth, innovation, and competitiveness. Its research spans industrial organisation, international trade, labour markets, digital transformation, and environmental economics. Through data-driven analysis, RIETI supports policymaking that integrates sustainability, productivity, and social wellbeing.

Structure and governance

RIETI operates under Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) as an independent incorporated administrative agency. It is governed by a board led by a Chairman and Executive Directors and supported by a network of resident, non-resident, and visiting fellows. Its governance model enables collaboration between researchers, government, and international experts.

Programs and offerings

RIETI delivers a wide range of outputs including discussion papers, policy briefs, data resources, and seminars. Its research programs cover economic security, innovation systems, productivity dynamics, and trade policy. It manages several databases such as the Japan Industrial Productivity (JIP) and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) databases, providing valuable tools for empirical research and policy evaluation.

RIETI’s Mission

For Japan to become a vibrant society through drastic reform of its economic structure and administrative systems, it is necessary to break the conventional administrative and policy framework and invigorate the policymaking capacity. Through such actions, Japan, as a member of the international community, will then be able to proactively implement more dynamic and innovative policies.

Reinvigorating policymaking and improving the dissemination of information requires a new policymaking platform and should be undertaken by an organization holding a certain degree of independence from the government, where not only administrative officers but also academic and private-sector experts and researchers from overseas can work in friendly competition to undertake various research assignments, analyses and policy studies, and make policy proposals.

It is against this backdrop that RIETI was established as a non-civil service style incorporated administrative agency with the purpose of undertaking public policy studies—a key and vital mission—efficiently and effectively by utilizing its personnel and budgetary flexibility.