On 7 March Japan’s Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA), an agency responsible for the development and procurement of advanced technology for Japan’s Self Defence Forces (JSDF), announced two competitive tenders for studies on bioinformatics.
The two tenders are for a study on quantum sensing devices for real time biomolecular informatics monitoring, and a study on developments in molecular devices that use quantum computer for real time biomolecular informatics monitoring.
Bidding for the projects is scheduled to take place at ATLA’s compound, in Kanagawa Prefecture, on 22 April, with the deadline for applications set at 25 March. Bidding is restricted to Unified Supplier Qualification A, B and C ranked companies which are qualified to participate in bids in central Honshu’s (Japan’s main island’s) Kantō and Kōshin'etsu regions.
Special requirements on bidders includes a research track record in relevant subfields, and, in the case of sensing device project, experience in cross-disciplinary work with local civilian and international experts.
Bioinformatics – the use of computer technology to gather, analyse and disseminate biological data – has a number of special applications in the military, including remote life-sign detection of trauma casualties, and supporting decision making for front-line combat medics, which have limited training and resources.
The field become a key growth area in military medical research since 2001, when the United States Army Medical Research and Material Command (USAMRMC) began work on a roadmap for incorporating emerging technologies from the then-burgeoning field of biomedical informatics. More recent developments in AI and computing, including quantum computing, have opened up new avenues for overcoming previous technological limitations and expanding the scope and efficacy of military applications.
Japan is one of the world’s leading producers of quality research on bioinformatics. According to a 2020 study, Japan was ranked fourth in the world in terms of the number of highly cited papers. Australia roughly matched Japan in terms of its h-index ranking, which measures research productivity and impact, with both nations ranked in the top 10.
Established in 2015, ATLA’s mission is to ‘secure technological superiority under the increasingly severe security environment surrounding Japan,’ with an emphasis on exploiting dual-use technologies, and strengthening cooperation ‘with various R&D organisations within Japan and overseas.’