Kota Umeda is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Geoeconomics (IOG) at the International House of Japan. His research focuses on space policy, defense innovation, and emerging technologies.

Prior to joining IOG, he worked at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) from 2015 to 2025. During his tenure, he was responsible for analyzing foreign space policies, coordinating with international counterparts, and formulating JAXA’s cybersecurity policy and incident response strategies.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Umeda spent five years at the Japan Ministry of Defense, where he conducted research on regional military capabilities and contributed to arms control and disarmament policy planning.