Japan Ministry to Subsidize Fuel Cell Development

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has announced that it will subsidize projects to develop fuel cells for use in mobile phones and notebook computers, starting from the next fiscal year. The Ministry will request several hundred million yen for the subsidy program in the budget for the year from next April, in a bid to prompt makers to speed up development. The ministry also intends to take the lead in establishing standards for small fuel cells and cartridges, so that they are compatible with any type of electronic product.