Satellite data services will help resolve wide-ranging global issues

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, MUFG Bank, Ltd., Integrated Design & Engineering Holdings Co., Ltd. (ID&E), Kokusai Kogyo Co., Ltd., and ZENRIN Co., Ltd. announced today that they invested in Satellite Data Services Co., Ltd. (SDS) on February 27. Mitsubishi Electric, MUFG Bank, and ID&E increased their existing stakes through a third-party allotment of shares, while Kokusai Kogyo and ZENRIN invested in SDS for the first time. As a result, SDS has now transitioned into a fully operating company.

The Government of Japan is promoting the use of satellite data in public-sector operations through a task force that developed a basic policy for the future utilization of satellite data. This policy encourages ministries and agencies to proactively use satellite data for purposes including the strengthening of infrastructure and addressing global challenges. In addition, as part of a goal to establish a planned Disaster Management Agency within the fiscal year ending March 2027, the Cabinet approved a basic policy to strengthen Japan’s disaster resilience through measures that include the use of satellite observation data to rapidly assess disaster-stricken areas.

SDS was established on a non-operating basis in June 2021 by a group of companies spanning the satellite-data value chain, including satellite development, operation, data analysis and consulting. SDS has been conducting studies and demonstrations in various areas, such as land and infrastructure management, rapid disaster assessment, and farmland and building management, aiming to develop and grow a market for satellite data utilization.

Source: BUSINESS WIRE