On November 23, 2016, the Shinshu University Research Center for Aerospace Systems (SURCAS), a new addition (established in October) to the Shinshu University's next-generation research center cluster, held their Takeoff! Symposium 2016 at the Nagano-Engineering Campus' International Center for Science and Innovation. Approximately 130 people attended, including event organizers and students.
Based on the theme "technological innovation in future space transport through A-SOFT HRs," Professor Toru Shimada of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) gave a commemorative presentation on new technologies being developed with an eye toward practical implementations of A-SOFT HRs (altering-intensity swirling-oxidizer-flow-type hybrid rockets), which are key to the future of space transport, as well as other ISAS research.

The next presentation by Takeshi Onuki, program director at JAXA's Aeronautical Technology Directorate, focused on the activities of the Directorate. Onuki discussed flight environment technologies, flight safety technologies, fostering of new flight-related fields and other leading-edge pursuits that form the central pillars of JAXA's Third Mid-term Plan.
This was followed by an overview of SURCAS as a whole by Director Toshiro Sato, after which the heads of each division including Sato (who also serves as chief of the Fundamental Technology Division), Aircraft Systems Division Chief Masaaki Yanagihara, and Space Systems Division Chief Kazuhiko Sakaki described their divisions' missions, visions, collaborations with other institutions, concrete plans and other such details.
Next, Faculty of Engineering Dean Shiro Handa explained the Aircraft Systems Division's Aircraft Systems Collaborative Laboratory program, which will be launched next year in southern Shinshu's Iida City, and Associate Professor Noboru Nakayama, who is project manager of the SUWA Miniature Rocket Development Project, described this joint effort being carried out by the Space Systems Division in the Suwa industrial region of central Nagano Prefecture. These talks showed great promise for the future of human resource cultivation, R&D and new industry creation.

Commemorative presentation speaker JAXA ISAS Professor Toru Shimada (LEFT),
JAXA Aeronautical Technology Directorate Program Director Takeshi Onuki (RIGHT)