Program to Support Ventures for Developing Space Components

Approximately 90% of the domestic demand for Japan's space equipment industry comes from the government, and the industry's sales are lower than similar industries in Europe and the United States. As a result, the scale of Japan's current space industry makes it impossible for relevant companies to invest in the development or commercialization of space parts and components, or they cannot maintain production facilities. In addition, the small scale of the industry is a fundamental factor preventing an increase in the domestic production of advanced space parts and components. Furthermore, because there are few inexpensive high-performance parts in Japan, Japan depends on foreign countries for approximately 40% of its satellite parts and components—including an approximately 80% dependency in the case of core active electronic parts in particular—and Japanese companies are not necessarily internationally competitive when compared to leading foreign companies.

At the same time, Japan has one of the world's few comprehensive space industries—including everything from satellite and rocket manufacturing to launch services—which means that the strategic enhancement of countermeasures for parts and components should make it possible to capture domestic and foreign demand. In addition, although there are a limited number of small and medium-sized companies and startups in the industry, some of them possess cutting-edge technologies and unique business models enabling them to pursue success in the space business.

The goal of this project is to enhance the competitiveness of Japan's space equipment industry by utilizing technology seeds possessed by small and medium-sized companies, startups, and other organizations, and by partially supporting research and development related to the development of satellites and other space parts and components, thereby expanding the range of the space equipment industry and achieving higher reliability and lower costs for satellites and other equipment.