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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)