> 2) a workgroup formed by companies working together on that subject 3) a government program to research that specific area. Part of Japan's postwar economic

> 2) a workgroup formed by companies working together on that subject 3) a government program to research that specific area. Part of Japan's postwar economic miracle involved doing both of these things at once: "hey three giant Japanese companies making products using [some technology], here's a pile of money, if you each also contribute a pile of money, we'll run some R&D on [some technology] to make it better, more efficiently than if the four of us spent the same money separately, and you can all three use it to compete with foreign companies"