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Teikyo University's Visionary Professor at the Helm of Groundbreaking Space Venture

In a momentous ceremony at the Itabashi Campus, the Teikyo Technology Transfer Center bestowed the esteemed title of Teikyo University Venture Company to Masaaki Kawamura, the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of BULL Corporation. Hailing from the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Department of Aerospace Engineering, and serving as the Director of Thermal Control Systems and Propulsion Systems Division at the Spacecraft Research and Development Center, Kawamura brings a wealth of expertise to this groundbreaking venture.

The Teikyo University Venture Company distinction is reserved for enterprises that leverage the university's cutting-edge research and human capital. BULL Corporation, nestled in Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture, shares a vision of normalizing interplanetary travel within and beyond Earth. Their focus centers on the cyclic underpinnings of the space industry, with ambitious projects including the development of the Micro-ISS, space debris countermeasure devices, and a strategic framework poised for synergistic impacts. Kawamura, an Associate Professor, spearheads the launch project of the micro-satellite "TeikyoSat-4 Project." His contributions extend to the Micro-ISS development endeavor, where his profound insights from atmospheric reentry research fuel the creation of space debris mitigation equipment. Notably, the space debris countermeasure project has secured the endorsement of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology's Small and Medium Enterprise Innovation Promotion Project (SBIR Project Phase 3). Aiming for societal integration by 2027, intensive efforts in technology advancement and space trials are underway. Teikyo University's steadfast support of BULL spans resource provisions and state-of-the-art facilities at the Utsunomiya Campus, bolstered by strategic investments from the Teikyo Knowledge Initiative Co., Ltd.'s KITT-1 Fund.

Present at the ceremony was Mr. Kyoshi Uto, the CEO of BULL, alongside the distinguished presence of Professor Hotaka Nakanishi, Head of the Teikyo Technology Transfer Center. It was Chairman and President OKINAGA Yoshihito who formally conferred the title certificate upon Associate Professor Kawamura. Reflecting on this milestone, Mr. Ubunaga, Chairman and President, emphasized the escalating significance of space debris management in an era of proliferating satellite launches. He expressed his hopes for BULL to emerge as a pivotal player, guided by its pioneering technology and inventive spirit. In a spirited response, Kawamura asserted, "The TeikyoSat project has enjoyed unparalleled support, and we aspire to reciprocate this kindness in the future. By harnessing the extensive research resources of Utsunomiya in tandem with BULL's specialized know-how, we embark on the audacious mission of advancing and preserving the utilization of the space environment for humanity's greater good. Our aspirations extend to positioning Utsunomiya as a nucleus of the space industry, propelling our enterprise to a global scale."
This milestone marks the inaugural instance of Utsunomiya University conferring this distinguished title, heralding a future landscape where ventures originating from Utsunomiya University are poised to flourish.

Click here for the press release
Click here for Associate Professor Masaaki Kawamura, Faculty of Science and Engineering.
Click here for information about the Space Vehicle Laboratory (Masaaki Kawamura Laboratory)
Click here for information about Teikyo Technology Transfer Center
Click here for information on the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's Small and Medium Enterprise Innovation Promotion Project (SBIR)

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