Passionate about space? Stand to win 10 million in this PhilSA-supported competition – Manila Bulletin

Get a chance to win up to 10 million in the S-booster competition, a Japanese space-based idea competition that welcomes business ideas related to the commercial applications of space.

In a statement, the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) said that delegates from the space agencies of Japan and the Philippines were invited to speak on their respective space activities to encourage the contestants on how their ideas will be implemented.

Space Policy and International Cooperation Bureau Director Noelle Riza Castillo represented PhilSA and emphasized the agencys role in space industry development through its various space business development projects.

It is one of the major goals of PhilSA to encourage the growth of a local space industry and economy, Castillo said.

S-Booster is an annual event first launched in 2017 by the Japan Cabinet Office, New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The pitch competition is open to individuals, ventures, startups, and businesses in different industries in Japan and the Asia-Oceania region that seek to commercialize their business ideas utilizing space assets such as rockets, satellites, commercial space stations, ground-based systems and technologies, and space data. .

This years competition was officially launched on June 1 at the DTI International Building in Makati City. The hybrid event was organized by the Japan Cabinet Office and the DTI Competitiveness Bureau, in partnership with the DTI Foreign Trade Service Corps and the DTI Tokyo. DTI Undersecretary for Competitiveness and Innovation Rafaelita Aldaba opened the event and introduced the Departments innovation programs.

Shoichiro Sakaguchi, Director-General of International Cooperation for the Cabinet Office of Japan, introduced the S-Booster competition and presented Japans space program.

Japan is supporting many countries to deploy small microsatellites to orbit from the International Space Station using Kibo Module, this allows access to space in a less expensive way than using large vehicles, Sakaguchi said.

Japan has collaborated with the Philippines through the Diwata satellites, and I hope for continuous collaborations in the future, he said. He mentioned that Japan has been inviting the commercial sector for space ventures and that S-Booster unlocks new space startups in Asia by supporting the commercialization of each idea with Japanese industries, he added.

S-Booster contestants will go through mentorship programs from established companies to refine their pitches. In the final round, presentations will be made to investors and large companies to promote business matching. The winning space idea will receive the grand prize of 10 million.

Applications are open to the Asia and Oceania region. The deadline for applications is on 20 June 2022, 5:00 PM Japan Standard Time (4:00 PM Philippine Standard Time).

For more information on S-booster, those interested can visit their website at https://s-booster.jp/en/2022.

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Passionate about space? Stand to win 10 million in this PhilSA-supported competition - Manila Bulletin