Midtown Appointed as Strategic Secretariat for Two Space Strategic Fund 'SX-CRANE' Hubs Focused on Mars Exploration and Space Medicine

Midtown Inc. (Headquarters: Shinjuku, Tokyo; CEO: Takahiro Nakamura; hereinafter 'Midtown') announced that it has been appointed as the strategic secretariat for two research hubs awarded to the Tokyo Institute of Science under the 'Space Innovation and New Industry Creation Hubs (SX-CRANE)' program, a research and development initiative promoted by the Japanese government.

Background of the Appointment:
The Space Strategic Fund is a national-scale program promoted by the Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, with JAXA serving as the secretariat. Amid a competitive selection process with an approximately 10-fold success rate, the Tokyo Institute of Science secured two out of the five national hubs. Midtown will act as the secretariat for both, overseeing everything from research advancement to the formation of academic-industry partnerships.

Appointed Hubs:
1. Hub for Environment Sensors and Small Payload Development for the Crewed Mars Exploration Era
- Research Leader: Prof. Yasuhito Sekine (Tokyo Institute of Science)
- Commissioned Amount: 2.2 billion yen (maximum over 8 years)
2. Hub for Housing Space Development Integrated with Space Medicine
- Research Leader: Prof. Koji Fujita (Tokyo Institute of Science)
- Commissioned Amount: 2.2 billion yen (maximum over 8 years)
*Amounts are maximum support limits and are subject to change based on stage-gate evaluations.

Midtown's Role:
Beyond administrative functions, Midtown will play a core role in the following areas:
- Consortium Design and Formation: Acting as a hub to connect diverse stakeholders in industry, academia, and government, promoting membership and sponsor recruitment.
- Promotion of Collaborative Research: Coordinating cooperation between researchers at the university and participating companies such as NEC, Takenaka Corporation, and the Japan Sport Council.
- Startup Creation Support: Supporting the entire innovation process, including the creation of university-originated ventures.

Future Outlook:
Leveraging this appointment, Midtown will begin preparations for establishing a 'Space-related Consortium (tentative)' around the fall of 2026, which will comprehensively address 'Resources, Environment, and Medicine' in space. By establishing a secretariat model for transdisciplinary consortiums, Midtown aims to become a leading model case for the academic-industry collaboration ecosystem in Japan.