SPACE TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER: SPIN-OFF CASES FROM JAPAN

Government organizations have to justify high expenditure during periods of financial crisis such as the one we are experiencing today. For example, the Space Agencies have attempted to increase the returns on their investments in space missions by encouraging the commercial use of advanced technologies. The development of a technology transfer process from Space to Earth not only benefits the aerospace industry but also the network of national companies. Indeed the latter are in an advantageous position due to the technological knowledge and R&D structures present in the Space Agencies and in the system integrator firms that are part of the space sector. These factors permit them to generate innovation and enjoy competitive advantages. The primary aim of the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) is to consolidate and develop the industrial system in its country by means of technology transfer programs. The Japanese situation is particularly interesting because its space sector has always been organized to promote the process of technology transfer, and also because its agency (JAXA) has an important R&D laboratory. While most of the Space Agencies in the world are limited to the facilitator role of marketing, coordination and financing, JAXA is also able to develop space technologies. The aim of this paper is to investigate who the actors are and the nature of their role, and how the TT process is organized in the Japanese space sector. We have adopted an explorative research approach, investigating two cases of TT promoted by JAXA and supported by Mitsubishi, one of the most important system integrator companies.