The Possibility of Competitive Edge Improvement in the Satellite Equipment Industry of Japan

In this research, the possibility of industrial competitive edge improvement necessary to activate the satellite equipment industry of Japan in the future was analyzed. As for the product property of the satellite equipment, the technological development risk and the business risk are extremely large, so it is easy to become a government initiation. In the state of the industry, the enterprises in Europe and America have strong competitive edge under the present situation (development investment, operation results, and market results). The satellite equipment industry of Japan is completely being the high risk low-return business, because the satellite equipment industry of Japan cannot secure the demand in spite of the growth of the space use industry, and the market scale of the official demand in Japan is small, and the enterprises in Japan cannot develop foreign markets. The necessity for improving the industrial competitiveness edge is high to activate the satellite equipment industry of Japan, when the business environment is considered. The factor that influences the industrial competitiveness of the satellite equipment industry can be described as follows: clarification of industrial directionality as country and strong lead, up-to-date technological development, mission proposal to reflect user needs, established satellite bus (accumulation of integration technology, securing of results), approach on technology of making to industry. The architecture of the satellite equipment is an advanced integrated type. Technical knowledge that integrates each part is necessary for the achievement of a high function with high interdependence of each part. It is an important requirement to establish the satellite bus that can fill the factor requested as industry: achievement of the steady function, acquisition of reliability, decrease of development period and cost. The satellite bus can be called a product platform, based on which satellites are individually invented.- - In the approach on the technology of making to industry, the influence of the current manufacturing and the operation results is large. At the same time, establishing the satellite bus leads to the improvement of reliability, shortening (cost decrease) ofthe development period. Industrial directionality of the satellite equipment is not clarified as a nation, and it is not strongly promoted by a strong lead in Japan. Because the satellite development policy of Japan aims at up-to-date technological development and proof, it doesn´t lead to the development that reflects industrial users´ needs and the establishment of the satellite bus; on the other hand the development of high technology is advanced. The satellite equipment industry of Japan does not fill steady achievement of function, acquisition of reliability, using the bus with abundant accumulation of integration technology, and advance designing and manufacturing efficiently, using the bus as a product platform. The approach on the technology necessary for industry (cost, development period) is insufficient, and the influence of no established bus is also large. These originate in the difference of development budgets and operation results. The enterprises in Europe and America take the lead to the establishment of the satellite bus in the global market with results, to the high-tech development in the background of large-scale budget, to develop the technology of making to industry. They construct the strategy policy that is appropriate for making to industry. As a result, the possibility that the satellite equipment industry of Japan improves competitive edge by continued innovation along present architecture is low. A new strategic scenario like revolution to new architecture is considered to be necessary.