Project Associate Professor Masashi Minamide received The Selection Committee Special Award of the Space Development and Utilization Award

On 17th March 2026, Project Associate Professor Masashi Minamide, Department of Civil Engineering, received The Selection Committee Special Award of the Space Development and Utilization Award.

Scenes from the award ceremony

The Selection Committee Special Award of the Space Development and Utilization Award

The 7th Space Development and Utilization Award recognizes outstanding achievements in the societal implementation of space technologies and their applications across industry, disaster mitigation, and scientific advancement. Organized by the Cabinet Office of Japan, it is one of the nation’s leading awards in the field of space utilization. Among its honors, the Selection Committee Special Award is presented to pioneering and highly original initiatives that transcend conventional frameworks.

About awarded research

Title: A New Frontier in Tropical Cyclone Prediction: All-Sky Data Assimilation of Geostationary Satellite Observations
This work builds upon an all-sky data assimilation framework for geostationary meteorological satellites developed over several years, and demonstrates its effectiveness through comprehensive large-scale numerical experiments, achieving improved accuracy in tropical cyclone prediction.
Tropical cyclone genesis and rapid intensification remain inherently difficult to predict due to the chaotic nature of the atmosphere, with limited observational coverage posing a major challenge, particularly during early developmental stages over the open ocean. In this study, we established a framework that stably assimilates satellite observations by statistically accounting for cloud-related effects. By applying this approach to realistic forecasting scenarios, we redefined cloud-affected satellite observations, previously underutilized, as a valuable source of information for numerical weather prediction.
Through year-round validation, the method reduced the mean error in tropical cyclone intensity forecasts by approximately 20% and enabled earlier detection of rapid intensification signals. These results demonstrate that the developed framework can deliver robust and consistent performance improvements in operational forecasting contexts, significantly advancing its practical applicability to real-world weather prediction.
In addition to its scientific novelty, the work was highly recognized for its potential to enhance disaster preparedness and mitigation by improving the predictability of extreme weather events.

Your impression & future plan

This award recognizes a series of research that I have pursued since my doctoral study, focusing on extreme weather prediction through all-sky satellite data assimilation. In particular, by applying the methodologies developed over the course of this work to conditions closely resembling real-world forecasting, I was able to demonstrate their effectiveness and take an important step toward bridging academic research and practical societal applications.
My research has been deeply shaped by personal experiences during my student years, when I encountered the devastating impacts of water-related disasters through volunteer activities. These experiences have driven my commitment to advancing research that can contribute to reducing such losses. I am truly honored that these sustained efforts, grounded in a strong sense of societal responsibility, have been recognized in this award.
Looking ahead, I will continue to pursue research that enhances the predictability of extreme weather, with the aim of contributing to more effective approaches to disaster risk reduction and resilience.
Finally, this achievement would not have been possible without the collaboration and support of many colleagues and research staff, both in Japan and abroad. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to all of them.