Exploring the Structural Expansion of Civilization with Leaders in the Space Industry
The Bedrock Space Group Corporation ("Bedrock Space") today announced that its Founder and CEO, Kai Sugihara, spoke at Day 2 of SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026.
The session brought together key figures leading the frontier of space development and advanced industries:

• Naoko Yamazaki (Astronaut / General Manager, VAST Japan)

• Takahiro Nakamura (CEO, Midtown / Former COO, ispace)

• Shobu Oda (CEO, AstroX)

• Kai Sugihara (Founder & CEO, Bedrock Space)

Under the theme of “The Current State of Space Development and the Expansion of Civilization Beyond It,” the discussion went beyond technological progress to examine the underlying transformation of civilization itself. Space is no longer merely a destination of exploration—it is being redefined as an economic domain, an infrastructural layer, and ultimately, a living environment.
During the session, Sugihara presented a first-principles perspective: energy is the fundamental variable that defines the upper bound of civilization. Throughout history, each leap in energy acquisition has directly translated into a corresponding expansion of human capability. From this standpoint, the limitations of Earth-bound energy systems represent not just an engineering problem, but a civilizational constraint.
He articulated Bedrock Space’s vision of removing this constraint by harnessing solar energy directly from space. Beginning with Space Solar Power Systems (SSPS), the company aims to establish an orbital energy infrastructure that initially powers satellites in low Earth orbit, then expands to the Moon, Mars, and eventually to planetary-scale energy supply. This roadmap culminates in the construction of a Dyson Swarm—an architecture designed to directly tap into stellar energy, forming the bedrock of a post-scarcity energy civilization.
Sugihara emphasized that space development must not be reduced to rockets or satellites; rather, it should be understood as the design of civilization itself—a synthesis of technology, economics, governance, and philosophy. This framing positions the space industry not merely as a high-growth sector, but as a foundational layer in the transformation of humanity’s future.
The session also explored the role of startups, the interplay between governments and private entities, capital dynamics, and the emergence of a space-based economy over the coming decades. While each speaker approached the topic from a different angle, all converged on a shared trajectory: transforming space into a sustainable domain of human activity.
Bedrock Space remains committed to building the energy and infrastructure that raise the upper bound of civilization and accelerate humanity’s next phase of evolution.