June 11, 2015 (JST)

National Research and Development Agency
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

The “Open Innovation Hub for Expanding Humanosphere and Domain of Activity through Solar System Frontier Development” of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) was selected for the innovation hub construction support, an operation conducted by the Japan Science and Technology agency (JST).
The formation of the innovation hub led by research and development agencies is one of the important policies to achieve the “most suitable country for innovation in the world” stipulated in the “Comprehensive Strategy on Science, Technology and Innovation 2014” (approved by the Cabinet on June 24, 2014). According to the strategy, JAXA started to work for this goal in April.
Through this innovation hub, we will form an operation base where new industries can participate for sustainable activities on planets with gravity including the moon. More specifically, we will introduce examples of issues we will tackle through this innovation hub, and hold an information exchange opportunity with companies and universities that are not necessarily related to the space field. We also plan to issue an RFI (request for information) to attain innovative space probe technology to non-continuously expand humanosphere and the domain of human activities.
Based on the above information gathering and discussion, we will set up more concrete research issues, then establish a research team for a specific activity.
Technology that will be attained through this innovation hub will not only be utilized for future space development and utilization but also be targeted to be valuable for businesses of participating companies as feedback. Therefore, JAXA is organizing a new system by reviewing our conventional management method of intellectual property and personnel regulation so that new partners can easily join us.

Expanding humanosphere and the domain of human activity through the development of space exploration will directly link to creating values for new space development application. In the next 10 to 20 years, space exploration will be mainly led by activities for exploration of the moon and Mars through international collaboration and competition with the involvement of various players including private companies. This innovation hub will set up a system for new industries to participate in space exploration, and aim at achieving new technological innovation by challenging innovative space exploration technology to non-continuously expand humanospere and the domain of human activities.

For JST innovation hub construction support operations, please refer to the following website.
http://www.jst.go.jp/ihub/index.html (Japanese language only)