Drone Japan, Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Kiichiro Katsumata; hereinafter “Drone Japan”), a company engaged in drone-based business development and consulting, will host a special seminar titled “Why the Drone Industry is Difficult” (~The ‘Structure’ Revealed Through 100 Columns and Observations on drone.jp~) on May 13 and May 20, 2026, to commemorate the 10th anniversary and 100th installment of the column series by its Chairman, Hisanori Sunahara.

In this seminar, based on the analysis accumulated over 10 years and 100 columns, we will organize the essence of the drone industry from the perspective of “industrial structure” and present future business strategies and paths to success.

Background: Why is the drone industry not expanding? While the drone industry has garnered high expectations as an “industrial revolution in the sky,” it faces structural challenges such as: - Many proof-of-concept (PoC) experiments, but no actual implementation - Technology exists, but no monetization - A market exists, but no scaling

In his column series, Sunahara has consistently proposed that drones should not be viewed as mere aircraft, but as “data acquisition devices” and “digital platforms.” He has also consistently pointed out that a business cannot succeed unless the industry is understood through a three-layer structure of hardware, software, and data. This seminar will systematize these 100 observations to clearly explain “why many companies fail” and “how to succeed.”

Seminar Highlights 1. Clarifying the “Structure of Failure”: Based on past 10 years of PoC and business development cases, we will organize the common structures behind why drone businesses fail to take off. 2. Evolution and Current State of the Drone Industry: Explaining where the competitive landscape has shifted, based on the evolution from Drone 1.0 (hardware) to Drone 3.0 (platforms). 3. Japan’s Unique Structural Challenges: Unraveling the problem unique to Japan—where projects stop at the PoC stage—from the perspectives of business models, operational design, and regulations. 4. Geopolitics and Supply Chains: Explaining the impact of China dependency, procurement, and domestic production issues on business as drones evolve into security technologies. 5. Future Paths to Success: Presenting strategies that companies should adopt as the competitive arena shifts from hardware to software, data, and platforms.

Event Overview • Title: “Why the Drone Industry is Difficult” (~The ‘Structure’ Revealed Through 100 Columns and Observations on drone.jp~) • Speaker: Hisanori Sunahara, Chairman, Drone Japan, Inc. • Date and Time: Wednesday, May 13, 2026, 15:00–17:00 / Wednesday, May 20, 2026, 15:00–17:00 (Content is identical for both dates) • Format: [In-person: KS Floor Seminar Room, 5F Resona Kudan Bldg., 1-5-6 Kudan-minami, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo / and Online Streaming] • Target Audience: Corporate executives and new business development managers at companies promoting or utilizing drone businesses, companies in infrastructure, construction, logistics, and security, local government officials, etc. • Participation Fee: Free (Advance registration required) • Details/Registration: https://www.drone-j.com/consulting-seminar/seminar_260513_0520/

Exclusive Attendee Benefit All attendees will receive the “Drone Business Structure Guide 2026 (100-Column Summary Edition),” a re-edited compilation of the essence of Sunahara’s 100 drone.jp columns.

[About Drone Japan, Inc.] Drone Japan has built a 10-year track record since its founding in 2015. It is a drone startup with deep knowledge of drone software (such as ArduPilot) and a wide range of consulting experience from agriculture to infrastructure inspection. With the mission of “Turning technology into business, and business into society,” the company supports highly effective drone utilization. • Representative: Kiichiro Katsumata, Representative Director • Address: KS Floor, 5F Resona Kudan Bldg., 1-5-6 Kudan-minami, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo • Established: December 2015 • Business Description: Drone consulting, R&D support, education, and agricultural support services • URL: https://www.drone-j.com/

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