Breaking the Ice for Space Business and Investment in Japan

Paper number

IAC-16,E6,2,10,x34964

Coauthor

Ms. Misuzu Onuki, Space Frontier Foundation, Japan

Year

2016

Abstract

Now space commercialization is a big wave all over the world. There are many businesses using space such as smallsats, ISS utilization, and so on in addition to commercial space transportation. And now the space commercialization wave has been expanding to beyond LEO.

In Japan, the Basic Space Law was issued in 2008 and the Basic Plan on Space Policy elements were announced in 2009, 2013 and 2015. Under the new space policy, competitive space technology and utilization has been targeted, which has opportunities for space business even though approximately 90% of Japanese space industry sales has been dependent on government. Now the creation of a new law on space activities and satellite remote sensing was passed by the Diet in March 2016 and is now in the final stages of government approval. Also, the Cabinet Office has prepared space policies such as S-NET, Space-New Economy Creation Network, to encourage commercial space.　

There seems to be many cases to create new market by assimilation with the IT industry which has flat management with agile decision making. This is the new wave of space business, especially in the US. In Japan, it looks like expecting space business with robotics, artificial intelligence, automotive industry, smart energy, and security services and so on as well as IT and Big Data analytics to use space. 
 
Regarding investment, the space industry has particular issues. However, it has been advancing smallsats platform utilization which has brought disaggregation into the space industry. Therefore it is affordable and evolving as solution providing businesses begin to use space. Commercial solution provider business has also been advancing in ISS utilization.
VC investment for space entrepreneur companies has just started in Japan with a recent \$35 million Round B funding for a space debris mitigation company led by Japanese investors as the prime example. Finally, space is the place for investment in Japan. A new business eco-system to use space is expected to create and broaden a borderless industry blast off from space commerce.

Abstract document

IAC-16,E6,2,10,x34964.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-16,E6,2,10,x34964.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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