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Tokyo—Space BD, a leading Japanese space startup, and Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd., (hereinafter referred to as “Mitsui Fudosan”) a company who are energizing space-related industries capable of solving social issues in the Nihonbashi area, announce their industry-academia collaboration on a “System Design and Management Practicum” lecture to be held by the Keio University Graduate School of System Design and Management to learn system design and management in a hands-on manner.

Space BD is located in Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower, which also contains the X-NIHONBASHI TOWER, a space business co-creation hub operated by Mitsui Fudosan. In 2022 Space BD and Mitsui Fudosan concluded an agreement to build a space industry ecosystem, and since then both have worked to explore co-creation ideas and achieve them. In Nihonbashi in April 2023 cross U* launched as an open platform aiming to energize the space industry, with the Space BD Co-Founder & CEO Masatoshi Nagasaki appointed as a supporter. The aim is to leverage Space BD strength in our headquarters in Nihonbashi and our network crossing industry boundaries that was built up in our business to date to drive further collaboration at cross U to energize the space industry community.

In this initiative, Space BD is teaming up with Mitsui Fudosan on the topic of achieving an increase in value for Nihonbashi as a center for space through a “System Design and Management Practicum” lecture led by Professor Naohiko Kohtake, who is also a supporter at cross U. As a space business startup, Space BD uses our insights from our main business, namely our launch services and International Space Station (ISS) use services, as a foundation to also provide the Space x Education business, leveraging entrepreneurial education and capabilities required in an astronaut. Throughout this lecture, we will share the potential of our space business and the issues we face. We will also provide space in the Space BD office as a practicum opportunity and be present through to the results presentation at the end.

Beginning with this industry-academia collaboration with Keio University, a leading Japanese educational and research institution, we plan to accelerate various businesses centered on Space x Entrepreneurial Education, and going forward intend to consider possible collaboration in joint research and joint businesses, etc.

*cross U: https://www.crossu.org/en/

Space BD Space x Education Business Introductory Video:

 

■Comment from Naohiko Kohtake, Professor, Graduate School of System Design and Management, Keio University

Our graduate school offers research and education in the design and management of various systems, keeping in mind the whole process from realization to operation and termination. A system is defined as “a collection of multiple elements that work together towards a common goal.” Learning through practice is important to understand the thinking behind system design and management, and to be able to actually do it. On this occasion, we were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to give a hands-on lecture with the full cooperation of Mitsui Fudosan and Space BD, with the aim of realizing a system that contributes to the increase in the value of Nihonbashi as a center for space. We hope that this initiative will not only foster the development of the students, but also contribute to the two companies, to Nihonbashi, and to the space industry. We will also explore the possibility for this initiative to lead to new value.

 

■Comment from Masatoshi Nagasaki, Representative Director, Co-Founder & CEO, Space BD

We are very proud to be working with Mitsui Fudosan on this initiative with the Keio University Graduate School of System Design and Management.

Since the inauguration of the X-NIHONBASHI Project, Space BD has been headquartered in Nihonbashi, and we have contributed to energizing the space industry in order to build up the space ecosystem. In this industry-academia collaboration initiative, by providing the business capabilities that we have cultivated to date and the venue for the lecture conducted by Keio University we hope to demonstrate new synergy.

Going forward, we will accelerate our initiatives to make space into a major industry.

 

■Comment from Katsuhisa Nanao, Head of Nihonbashi Urban Planning and Development Department, Mitsui Fudosan

We are pleased to be cooperating with Space BD in this system design and management practicum on the topic of a system that contributes to the increase in value of Nihonbashi as a center for space held by the Keio University Graduate School of System Design and Management. We support the expansion of the promising space industry, and its capability to solve social issues, through urban planning and development.

We hope to gain new ideas for energizing the space industry community in Nihonbashi through this initiative and to contribute to the expansion of the space industry by putting these ideas into action.

 

■About Space BD

We at Space BD are a one-stop provider of solutions for those in the space utilization field. Not only can we deliver payloads to space by a variety of methods and facilitate the use of International Space Station assets, but we can also assist with everything from business plans to hands-on technical operations. As of February 2023, Space BD’s performance record marked over 70 satellite projects and over 300 orders.

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