Toward a "Hokkaido Spaceport City" centered on a spaceport

Mr. Odagiri's main goal is to attract companies from Japan and abroad that want to launch rockets and provide a safe and comfortable launch environment. Attracting new companies will create jobs in the region, and as the population increases, new services are expected to develop. Mr. Odagiri cited the history of the area's growth in the past, when railroad companies built stations and restaurants, hospitals, and stores sprang up around them, and "a spaceport could play a similar role," he said. Taiki Town has the potential to become a space version of Silicon Valley," he says enthusiastically.

The major challenge to realize this project is "securing human resources.

Cutting-edge technology and knowledge are essential for the space industry. To achieve this, it is necessary to attract excellent human resources to the region. Many people may feel that they have no connection to the space industry. However, Odagiri emphasizes that any industry has the potential to be related to space. Currently, almost everything needed in space is manufactured on Earth. Food, toilets, clothing, etc., can all be space-related from different perspectives.

To attract talent, it is important to foster companies that provide employment within the region and provide information to those with expertise in space-related fields. Focusing on human resource development through partnerships with schools and universities to utilize the spaceport will also help promote regional development. The current population of Taiki Town is about 5,400, but "it is not impossible to reach the peak population of 10,000 through the revitalization of the space industry," says Odagiri.

A treasure trove of possibilities! The space business has just begun!

The history of space spans more than 60 years, but it is only in recent years that the space business has begun in earnest, mainly by the private sector. Mr. Odagiri likens it to "the dawn of time, like when the Wright Brothers first flew airplanes.

Humans who dreamed of the skies developed airplanes, which were then used in a variety of ways thanks to the wisdom of many people. We can imagine that the private sector's unique sense of speed will drive the space business in the future. On the other hand, the domestic workforce in the space industry is still said to be only about 9,000, and it is urgent to increase the mobility of human resources, such as the entry of personnel from other industries. However, there is still a lot of potential for the development of the space business.

Mr. Odagiri said, "The space business is still a world of challenges. There are a lot of things to think about and business opportunities, such as business development using information from satellites. I hope that young people who are interested in space will look for new possibilities," he says hopefully.

＜Image courtesy of SPACE COTAN

Tokachi-related guide session" introduces people who make things and do things in Tokachi.