NEDO Launches 'NEDO Challenge, Satellite Data - Innovating Future Urban Infrastructure with Satellite Data' with Total Prize Pool of Up to 80 Million JPY

NEDO is implementing the 'NEDO Prize-Based R&D Program' (hereinafter referred to as the Program), which solicits technological seeds and solutions to address technical and societal challenges through a prize-based R&D model (contest format).

Today, July 15, we announce the launch of a new theme: 'NEDO Challenge, Satellite Data - Innovating Future Urban Infrastructure with Satellite Data' (hereinafter referred to as the Project).

The Project will award a total prize pool of up to 80 million JPY across two themes, based on technological and solution development outcomes that expand the potential of satellite data to address challenges in the social infrastructure sector.

Through this Program, NEDO aims to early identify seeds that can lead to solutions for future societal challenges and the creation of new industries, while also fostering opportunities for collaborative research and promoting the practical application and commercialization of these technologies.

Figure: Logo of 'NEDO Challenge, Satellite Data - Innovating Future Urban Infrastructure with Satellite Data'

1. Overview

In Japan, infrastructure maintenance faces multiple challenges, including a shortage of personnel, rapid aging of infrastructure, population decline and concentration, and increasingly severe and frequent natural disasters. In response, there is a strong demand for improving the efficiency of infrastructure maintenance and enhancing disaster prevention and response through technology. To address these issues, it is essential to utilize data from satellites and various sensors to build and implement new approaches to infrastructure management and disaster response. Furthermore, integrating such data with 3D urban models being developed under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s 'PLATEAU※1' initiative is expected to further improve the efficiency and sophistication of these efforts.

On the other hand, the use of satellite data is still in its early stages. To promote its widespread adoption and strengthen the competitiveness of the space industry, the creation of superior ideas is essential. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and NEDO are advancing this Program※2 to provide a platform that matches increasingly complex societal challenges with advanced technologies and to establish a pathway for autonomous business creation through continuous dissemination of successful case studies.

This Project aims to collect and analyze technologies utilizing satellite data to address challenges in the social infrastructure sector, and to discover innovative and original technological seeds for future collaborative research through a prize-based R&D approach※3.

2. Details of the Prize Announcement (Call for Proposals) and Future Schedule

[Themes for Satellite Data-Based Solution Development]

Theme 1: Technology Development to Address Challenges in Infrastructure Management and Urban Activities

We are soliciting technology development proposals that utilize satellite data to solve challenges such as inspection and monitoring of infrastructure deterioration, monitoring of surrounding infrastructure conditions, creation and updating of 3D urban models, tracking land use changes and building renewal, and monitoring urban activities such as traffic volume.

Specific Application Examples:

- Improving efficiency, sophistication, and addressing labor shortages in the inspection and monitoring of infrastructure deterioration

- Wide-area, time-series monitoring of erosion, sedimentation, and ground displacement in rivers, ports, coastlines, and dams

- Continuous monitoring of changes in infrastructure surroundings (ground, vegetation, trees, land use, etc.) and identifying underground spaces and surrounding risks previously difficult to detect

- Utilizing satellite data in large-scale infrastructure management and multi-infrastructure management cycles, including efficient evaluation, diagnosis, and preventive maintenance planning

- Enhancing the identification of land use changes (e.g., vacant houses, vacant lots, building renewal) in the creation of 3D urban models and urban planning base maps, and improving classification and identification of objects and spaces above and below ground

- Advancing urban activity analysis by combining satellite data with other data sources for monitoring traffic volume and pedestrian flow

Theme 2: Technology Development to Address Challenges in Infrastructure-Related Disaster Prevention and Response

We are soliciting technology development proposals that utilize satellite data to solve challenges such as disaster risk assessment, disaster and anomaly detection, wide-area dynamic situation monitoring during disasters, and visualizing disaster situations in combination with 3D urban models.

Specific Application Examples:

- Disaster risk assessment during normal periods

- Anomaly detection and early warning identification prior to disaster occurrence

- Wide-area, dynamic monitoring of flooding and river water levels

- Rapid assessment of damage to multiple infrastructures and road blockages (including fallen utility poles and abandoned vehicles) immediately after a disaster

- Wide-area, continuous information gathering during emergency response and planning for emergency measures and restoration toward infrastructure recovery

- Visualizing wide-area disaster situations and normal-period disaster risks by integrating with 3D urban models

[Prize Amount]

1st place: 20 million JPY, 2nd place: 10 million JPY, 3rd place: 5 million JPY (total prize pool across two themes: up to 80 million JPY)

Prizes will be awarded separately for winners in Theme 1 and Theme 2.

In addition to the above prizes, special awards may also be granted.

[Future Schedule]

- Application Period: July 15, 2026 (Wed) – August 31, 2026 (Mon)

- First Review (Document Review): Early September – Late October 2026

- System Development and Mentoring: Late October 2026 – Late May 2027

- Second Review (Pitch Contest): Mid-July 2027

- Prize Award: September 2027 (tentative)

[Application Website]

For application methods, forms, and other details, please visit the website below:

NEDO Challenge, Satellite Data - Innovating Future Urban Infrastructure with Satellite Data [k柿1.1]

https://space-data-challenge.nedo.go.jp/infrastructure/

[Notes]

※1 PLATEAU

PLATEAU (https://www.mlit.go.jp/plateau/) is a nationwide urban digital twin realization project led by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in collaboration with various stakeholders. It develops 3D urban models as platform data for urban activities and creates use cases across various domains. Furthermore, it provides 3D urban models as open data so that anyone can freely access urban data.

※2 The Program

Project Name: NEDO Prize-Based R&D Program

Project Period: FY2023 –

Project Overview: NEDO Prize-Based R&D Program https://www.nedo.go.jp/activities/ZZJP_100268.html

※3 Prize-Based R&D Model

In many countries, governments and foundations announce R&D goals, solicit numerous applicants, and competitively evaluate diverse ideas and approaches through contests. Upon completion of the development period, prize money is awarded to the top performers who have achieved results exceeding the target level. While such models are still rare in Japan, prize offerings are recognized under civil law, and this Program will award prizes in accordance with Japanese civil law.