From Prototype to Production - Japan
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More details:
Japan stands at a turning point in its defense trajectory: the question is no longer whether to build autonomous systems, it is how to manufacture them faster than adversaries can deploy them.
The new security reality in the Asian-Pacific is measured in production capacity, not prototype counts. Yet Japan’s defense manufacturing ecosystem, historically shaped by strict pacifist constraints, is only beginning to adapt to the demands of high-volume, rapid-cycle production.
This event in Tokyo convenes executives from mobility, aerospace, deep tech, and investment to tackle a defining industrial challenge: How can Japan convert its precision manufacturing legacy into a sovereign drone production powerhouse?
No country is better positioned on paper: Japan’s robotics, semiconductor, and automotive sectors represent exactly the industrial DNA needed for scalable drone production. Yet translating that potential into defense output requires deliberate cross-sector collaboration, reformed procurement frameworks, and a willingness to blur the line between civilian and military supply chains.
Discussions will center on what it actually takes to scale: standardized drone architectures, dual-use component strategies, domestic supplier development, and integrating Japan’s existing precision manufacturing base into a coherent defense industrial network. Key technologies under focus include propulsion systems, energy storage, embedded computing, advanced materials, and sensor integration — alongside viable go-to-market strategies for both established manufacturers and emerging defense startups.
The event is built for the decision-makers, technologists, and capital allocators who will determine whether Japan seizes this industrial moment or cedes it.
Agenda (10:00 – 17:00)
10:00 – 10:30 | Arrival & Coffee
Informal networking and participant onboarding
10:30 – 11:00 | Opening Keynote
The Industrial Gap in Japanese Drone Production
Current state: from battlefield demand to industrial reality
Why scaling is the defining challenge of this decade
11:00 – 12:00 | Session 1 — From Prototype to Millions Scaling Drone Production
Lessons from Ukraine and real-world deployment
Transition from R&D to industrial manufacturing
Bottlenecks: components, suppliers, assembly
12:00 – 13:00 | Session 2 — Automotive Meets Defense
Applying Automotive Principles
Platform strategy & modular architectures
Common parts and cost reduction
Quality, testing, and production standards
13:00 – 14:00 | Lunch & Networking
14:00 – 15:00 | Session 3 — Components & Supply Chain Building the Industrial Stack
Batteries, motors, electronics, optics
Rare-earth-free systems and sourcing
Localizing supply chains for resilience
15:00 – 16:00 | Panel Discussion “From Hype to Industrial Reality”
Can Japan build drone production at scale?
Role of automotive suppliers
Regulatory, financing, and export challenges
16:00 – 16:30 | Closing & Call to Action: What Needs to Happen Next
Concrete next steps for industry collaboration
Building partnerships across sectors
17:00 | End (Optional Informal Networking)