Exiting Unawareness of Kohsetsushi among SMEs in Japan

Public technology support can raise SME productivity, yet many firms may not use it because they remain unaware of it as a viable option. This study reframes low uptake as a discovery problem and examines transitions from unawareness to awareness of Kohsetsushi, public technology transfer organizations in Japan. Using annual online surveys from 2021 to 2024, this study classifies firms as (0) unaware, (1) aware but not using, or (2) using, and tests whether firms that are unaware in one year become aware in the next year. Because identifying adjacent-year transitions requires consecutive observation and panel retention is nonrandom, stabilized inverse-probability weights based on next-wave response likelihood are used to mitigate attrition bias. The results suggest that discovery depends more on information-processing capacity and institutional touchpoints than on firm size: managers’ STEM background, prior digital investment, and previous receipt of innovation-related subsidies are positively associated with exiting unawareness, whereas firm size and firm age are not robust predictors. Travel time to the nearest Kohsetsushi facility is not a robust predictor, suggesting that cognitive and informational frictions may matter more than physical proximity at the awareness stage. These findings indicate that policy should be assessed not only by user outcomes but also by whether potential users can discover and interpret available support. Effective outreach therefore requires clear entry points, problem-based messaging, repeatable low-cost contact, and low-burden information design.