What’s ATIS

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A message from ATIS

ATIS (Association of Technical Information Services) was established in 1981. Funding members were eight companies which provided technical information and research support services as group companies or subsidiaries for Japanese chemical manufacturing corporations. Our goal is to encourage the member companies to enhance their relevant expertise and skills by exchanging and learning about related information. At the same time, ATIS is trying to contribute to developing Japanese industries through our activities.

The association has grown to include companies that support steel, metal, electronics, communications and machine industries, with membership now exceeding forty companies. In addition, we continue to grow by enrolling new types of companies or corporations, including companies providing information services as their core business and manufacturing corporations having an internal division providing similar services.

The provided technical information services were mainly focused on searching technical information in the beginning. But these services have been transformed due to trends such as changes in industrial structures, globalization and the development of information processing technologies related to the services. For example, the services include not only searching and investigating technical information, but also analyzing it, managing Intellectual Property (IP), translating and preparing domestic and overseas technical documents as well as specifications.

Members’ types of industries, business domains and service areas have undergone changes as described above. While we continue to hold on to our founding principles, we intend to adapt to changes in the environment in which companies operate and leverage the collective efforts of our members to continue promoting activities. We thank all parties involved for their continued support and cooperation.

April 2019
Chairperson, Association of Technical Information Services

ATIS Organization and Operation

  • ATIS membership comprises regular members, special members and supporting members.
    1. Regular members: Companies that provide technical information services as their business and are subsidiaries of major Japanese manufacturing corporations.
    2. Special members: Japanese manufacturing corporations that do not meet the requirements for the regular members listed above. For example, corporations that have internal divisions or sections involved in supporting technical information services.
    3. Supporting members: Independent companies that provide technical information services as their business.
  • ATIS is a private organization comprised of its members. It is not a part of any other organizations or groups.
  • Our activities are funded by annual membership fees paid by its members (150,000 JPY).
  • The activity calendar runs from July 1 to June 30 of the following year.
  • The planning and operations of the activities are conducted by the board of secretaries with support of adviser(s). The board of secretaries is composed of secretaries, an auditor and a general affairs secretary. The composed members are elected at a general meeting. The board of secretaries also includes a chairperson and vice chairpersons. Please note that the secretaries and the auditor are selected from regular members.
  • A regular meeting is held every month, and includes such programs as lectures, symposiums and other activities. In addition, some research groups are established where investigative research on specific topics is conducted.

Introduction to Activities

In order to achieve the established goals of ATIS, we are engaged in the following activities involving technical information services and other relevant matters,

  • Information exchange related to knowledge and techniques among members,
  • Research and investigations on the technical information services,
  • Information exchange with relevant government agencies and various organizations, and opinion recommendations,
  • Other activities necessary for achieving our goals.

Our major activities are the monthly regular meetings and the research groups. All members participate in the regular monthly meetings, where they can engage in mutual information exchanges and getting to know each other better. The research groups hold small scale meetings for studies on specific topics attended by people with the same interests.

The activities of the regular meetings are as follows.

❶ Lectures:
A topic is selected such as IP and cutting-edge technology trends that members are interested in and a lecturer—who is proactively engaged in the front lines of that field—is invited.
❷ Facility visits:
Members visit facilities that they have relationships with in their business, or facilities opened to the public.
❸ Symposiums:
Regular members introduce subjects and issues related to their management and activities.
❹ Panel discussions:
Experts hold panel discussions on specific topics that members are interested in.
❺ Introduction of products/services:
Products and services provided by supporting members are introduced.

In addition, reports on the activities of the research groups are held. Social gatherings are held after the regular meeting in which attendance is optional.

The activities of the research groups are as follows.

Studies are conducted by small groups of up to around 20 members, where topics that members are interested in, such as the following: operational and technical studies related to search works; studies on evaluation and analysis of patent information such as patent maps; studies on management topics IP-related subsidiaries are facing; and studies on IP information, including the IP systems of emerging countries.

The statuses of activities are shared on the member website, and the activities are coordinated with organizations such as the Industrial Property Cooperation Center (IPCC), the National Center for Industrial Property Information and Training (INPIT), the Japan Patent Information Organization (Japio) and the other organizations.