Masao Akiyama is a defense and aerospace executive with over four decades of experience in space systems engineering, U.S.-Japan defense cooperation, and international business development. He served as Special Advisor to IHI Aerospace Co., Ltd. in Tokyo until 31March, but he is continuing to monitor U.S. space and defense policies and support U.S.-Japan cooperative programs, including license production coordination with U.S. prime contractors and suppliers.
Mr. Akiyama began his career in April 1983 with the Aerospace Division of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., which was acquired by IHI and became IHI Aerospace in July 2000. Over the course of his career, he has worked across the full spectrum of space systems development — from subsystems including structures, mechanisms, thermal systems, avionics, and software, to full system integration. He served as Project Manager for the development of one of the modules of the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) attached to the International Space Station (ISS), and provided technical support to JAXA during ISS safety reviews and technical meetings with NASA. He also coordinated and negotiated numerous Technical Assistance Agreements (TAAs) with U.S. companies in support of IHI Aerospace’s design and analysis work.
In 2008, Mr. Akiyama transitioned to the Sales and Marketing Department of IHI Aerospace’s Defense Systems division, focusing on license production contract coordination with U.S. prime companies and supplier engagement. He subsequently served as Senior Vice President of IHI Americas Inc. in Washington, DC, where he spent fourteen years building an extensive professional network across government and industry. His areas of expertise include program management, export controls, business development, and data acquisition and intelligence. He is currently leveraging that network to explore new U.S.-Japan security collaboration opportunities in the space and defense sectors.
Mr. Akiyama is a member of the National Defense Industry Association (NDIA), the Association of the United States Army (AUSA), the Air Force Association (AFA), and the Japan Institute of Space Security (JISS). He holds a Bachelor of Engineering from Waseda University.