Transforming Ago Bay, Japan into a Global 'Marine Tech' Mecca
Umilabo opens 'Marine Tech Lab' in Ago Bay, Mie Prefecture, renovating an abandoned pearl farm to test marine AI and robots.
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- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 22:18
- 🔍 Collected: April 1, 2026 at 16:47
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 21, 2026 at 23:28 (486h 40m after Collected)
Our company supports April Dream, an initiative aiming to make April 1st a day to broadcast dreams. This press release is the dream of Umilabo Co., Ltd.
A challenge to create the next 100 years of the ocean begins from Ago Bay in Mie Prefecture.
Umilabo Co., Ltd. (Shima City, Mie Prefecture; Representative: Kota Kawano) announces the opening of its second building, 'Marine Tech Lab', which specializes in the social implementation of marine tech, following its first building, 'Seaside Retreat', centered on accommodation and training. This project revitalizes an abandoned pearl farm building into a cutting-edge experimental site (sandbox). We aim to create a privately-led marine industry special zone that accelerates proof-of-concept experiments for marine AI, underwater robots, and autonomous ships, while simultaneously solving 'rights relationships' and 'legal regulations', which are the biggest barriers to commercialization.
*Click here for the history and story of the abandoned house revitalization
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000002.000112111.html
■The thoughts of the previous owner and capitalizing the abandoned factory
The stage for the second building is also an abandoned factory that once prospered through pearl farming. It is an important baton received along with the desire to 'entrust the future of this place', after more than a year of dialogue with the previous owner. Together with volunteer members, we started by clearing rubble and collecting marine plastics. The collected plastics were upcycled into furniture, and the building was revitalized by utilizing the original wood and structure. Some wood from pearl rafts is used.
We will embody the story of 'former pearls (past) -> abandoned house (present) -> marine tech (future)' through the resources on site.
*Background of the second building project and the cleanup process: note article
https://note.com/umilabo_iseshima/n/n6b1ba7ae896e
■Four Implementation Categories
A challenge to create the next 100 years of the ocean begins from Ago Bay in Mie Prefecture.
Umilabo Co., Ltd. (Shima City, Mie Prefecture; Representative: Kota Kawano) announces the opening of its second building, 'Marine Tech Lab', which specializes in the social implementation of marine tech, following its first building, 'Seaside Retreat', centered on accommodation and training. This project revitalizes an abandoned pearl farm building into a cutting-edge experimental site (sandbox). We aim to create a privately-led marine industry special zone that accelerates proof-of-concept experiments for marine AI, underwater robots, and autonomous ships, while simultaneously solving 'rights relationships' and 'legal regulations', which are the biggest barriers to commercialization.
*Click here for the history and story of the abandoned house revitalization
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000002.000112111.html
■The thoughts of the previous owner and capitalizing the abandoned factory
The stage for the second building is also an abandoned factory that once prospered through pearl farming. It is an important baton received along with the desire to 'entrust the future of this place', after more than a year of dialogue with the previous owner. Together with volunteer members, we started by clearing rubble and collecting marine plastics. The collected plastics were upcycled into furniture, and the building was revitalized by utilizing the original wood and structure. Some wood from pearl rafts is used.
We will embody the story of 'former pearls (past) -> abandoned house (present) -> marine tech (future)' through the resources on site.
*Background of the second building project and the cleanup process: note article
https://note.com/umilabo_iseshima/n/n6b1ba7ae896e
■Four Implementation Categories