To help give the nation's growing aircraft manufacturing sector an edge, the industry ministry plans to create a framework that facilitates cooperation among Japan's parts makers to boost productivity and court business from abroad.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will launch the Nationwide Network of Aircraft Clusters later this year as part of an effort to increase industry-wide sales to ¥3 trillion by 2030 from ¥1.8 trillion in fiscal 2015.
Aircraft are made with millions of components requiring repair and maintenance that usually involves years of business contracts. Aviation's potential to pump cash into rural economies stably and on a large scale like automakers do makes it an attractive industry.