Sharp Corporation (“Sharp”) will launch a collaboration with Furuno Electric Co., Ltd. (head office: Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture; President and CEO: Yukio Furuno; “Furuno Electric”), a major player in the marine electronics field, for the development of LEO (Low Earth Orbit) and MEO (Medium Earth Orbit) satellite communication antennas.

　Mobile data communication while at sea is difficult and there is especially high demand for LEO/MEO satellite communication that enables high-quality, high-speed, high-capacity telecommunications. In the near future, it is anticipated that this mode of communication will be introduced to boats and ships more widely, and Sharp is working to develop small, lightweight LEO/MEO satellite communication antennas for this purpose by taking advantage of its technologies for compactness, weight reduction and communications developed and fostered in the design of smartphones. Furuno Electric has expanded its manufacturing and sales business globally for a variety of navigation and marine communication equipment, and has extensive experience and know-how in maritime equipment, which led to this collaboration. Through this collaboration, Sharp will accelerate development by gaining Furuno Electric’s specialized knowledge and support in the marine field. By quickly commercializing LEO/MEO satellite communication antennas suitable for use aboard ships, Sharp will not only improve the communication environment during ocean voyages, but also contribute to promoting digital transformation in marine operations.

　In addition, the two companies will work together to conduct a demonstration experiment in mid-September of this year. A LEO/MEO satellite communication antenna currently under development will be installed on one of Furuno Electric’s testing vessels which will be navigated over a test course at sea. Its practicality and assess challenges under various conditions will be verified during the voyage, including obstacles such as bridges, as well as the impact of the vessel’s direction and speed on communications. This demonstration will be carried out with funding from the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) (JPJO12368G50501).

　A prototype of the LEO/MEO satellite communications antenna currently under development as well as information regarding this collaborative initiative will be exhibited at the Sharp Tech-Day ’24 Innovation Showcase technology exhibition event to be held at the Tokyo International Forum (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) on September 17 and 18, 2024. For more information about Sharp Tech-Day ’24 and to register, please visit the special website at the link below.

https://global.sharp/techday/

【 Contacts 】 NTN_B5G@sharp.co.jp