Tokyo-based ALE Co., Ltd. (ALE), led by CEO Lena Okajima, with the mission to make space closer for people, entered into an advisory agreement with Hanjuku Kaso, Inc. run by the economics and data science expert, Yusuke Narita (Hanjuku Kaso) on 30th October, 2021.
ALE takes part in three businesses with the aim of contributing to the sustainable development of science and humankind.
・Atmospheric Data: We acquire valuable atmospheric data from space by using small satellites. We aim to contribute to unravel the mechanism of global climate change, and to utilize the data for disaster prevention and mitigation.
・Space entertainment “Sky Canvas” : We deliver the beauty and fun of space through space entertainment content, such as man-made shooting stars, to stimulate people's curiosity and create opportunities for further space development.
・Debris Mitigation : Through the development of space debris prevention devices, we aim to contribute to protect the orbital environment for a sustainable space development.
Hanjuku Kaso, Inc. combines data algorithms, mathematics and ideas to design the future images of business, policies and society. Having one of the best technological capabilities in counter thinking which are compared to the actual results, in Japan, the company constructs mathematical methods and data to see the difference in outcomes if a different decision was to be made.
ALE will receive interdisciplinary advice mainly about Economy x Weather x Space based on a scientific viewpoint from Hanjuku Kaso. A specific example of initiatives is the assessment of the value that weather data can bring to society. As weather forecasting using data obtained from satellites or man-made shooting stars have uncertain accuracy, it is not easy to calculate the economic impact. Using techniques in statistics and economics that measure the value of uncertain information, ALE and Hanjuku Kaso will work to establish value created by new weather information in society and the economy. Focusing on the atmospheric data business, ALE will also make use of advice on the space entertainment and debris mitigation business to benefit the world even more.
■Comment from Yusuke Narita, CEO, Hanjuku Kaso, Inc
An economy is being born from the sky. This is because if humanity expands into the sky and space, we need to figure out how to run a human society in the sky and trade with the sky. Moonshot, like what kind of money and contracting mechanisms should be created when people move into space. Today's issues, like how to design incentives for private space companies and the state to work well together. And how to use the data from satellites for weather forecasting and other products and services, and what are its effects on society and economy? The challenges of sky economics and space economics are piling up.
“The role of a scholar was originally different. It is to sink deep and think about the truth of the universe.” (Umesao Tadao, Towards a Construction of a Science of Civilization)
I hope that someday, somewhere, the business of flying off into space and the academics of staying back and sinking deep to reach the space will meet.
■Comment from Lena Okajima, CEO, ALE Co., Ltd.
Economy Weather Space. At ALE, we are happy to be able to take an interdisciplinary approach to the field of economy, which is said to be the foundation of society, with space as the starting point, worrying more about working on the weather than before and we are able to do this due to our mission of making space closer for people. I am very excited about to discover a whole new world that will be opened up by linking the economy and weather together with CEO Yusuke Narita of Hanjuku Kaso.
■About ALE Co., Ltd.
Visioning to “Anchor space into our culture to empower humankind to new endeavors”, ALE is a space start-up with the mission to “Make space closer. For all of us. Together.”
By sparking the curiosity of people with the space entertainment business including our world’s first man-made shooting stars, gathering and utilizing Earth’s atmosphere data that will help shed light on climate change, we want to create value in both entertainment and science. Furthermore, we want to do this while preventing the occurrence of new space debris and maintaining the orbital environment for the space industry to develop sustainably. With this, we aim to make space closer for all of us together and contribute to the sustainable development of humankind.
Company Name: ALE Co., Ltd.
Address: 2-11-8 Shibadaimon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0012, Japan
CEO: Dr. Lena Okajima
Established: 1st September 2011
Nature of Business: Space Entertainment (Sky Canvas), Atmospheric Data, Debris Mitigation
URL ： https://star-ale.com/en/
■About Hanjuku Kaso, Inc.
Company Name: Hanjuku Kaso, Inc
CEO: Yusuke Narita
Established: 28th July 2020
Nature of Business: Construction, implementation, and dissemination of techniques for designing society with data, algorithms, and mathematics
References…Umesao Tadao, 1981 Bunmeigaku no kochiku no tame ni (Towards a Construction of a Science of Civilization). Tokyo: Chuo-Koron-sha.