Market Context — Why This Technology, Why Now

Global climate change is intensifying flood and tsunami risks, driving urgent demand for resilient infrastructure. Regulatory bodies are increasingly mandating robust disaster preparedness, while rising insurance premiums compel businesses to invest in advanced protection. This technology offers a proactive solution to safeguard assets and ensure operational continuity, addressing a critical need for enhanced disaster resilience across industries and geographies.

Key Competitive Advantages
01

Ensures complete asset protection by maintaining horizontal stability during elevation, safeguarding internal equipment and business assets from displacement during floods.

02

Minimizes collision risk with surrounding objects like trees or vehicles, as the link mechanism restricts the floor slab to purely vertical movement relative to the base slab.

03

Accelerates business resumption by automatically returning the building to its pre-flood position, significantly reducing recovery time and enhancing business continuity.

Market Opportunity
Critical Infrastructure Facilities
$2B globally (AI est.)
Facilities such as data centers, power plants, and hospitals, where maintaining functionality during disasters is critical, are expected to have extremely high demand for this technology as a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) measure.
Data center operators Utility companies Healthcare facility developers
Coastal and Riverside Factories
$1.5B globally (AI est.)
Manufacturing plants face significant economic losses from production line shutdowns due to floods. This technology's ability to enable rapid recovery contributes to supply chain resilience.
Automotive manufacturers Chemical processing plants Electronics assembly factories
Residential Areas in Disaster Zones
$3B globally (AI est.)
In residential areas along rivers and coastlines, there is growing demand for new disaster-resilient housing to protect lives and property, indicating strong potential for adoption.
Residential property developers Prefabricated housing manufacturers Urban planning agencies
IP Defensibility — Why Competitors Can't Replicate This
What This Patent Covers

This patent protects a broad scope of claims related to an elevating structure, specifically its link mechanism for purely vertical movement. Its novelty and inventiveness were affirmed against nine prior art documents, indicating a robust and defensible right with clear differentiation from existing technologies, making it resistant to invalidation.

Competitive White Space

This patent primarily covers the mechanical link mechanism for vertical elevation. White space exists in developing advanced smart control systems for autonomous operation, integrating with broader urban flood management platforms, or utilizing novel lightweight, high-strength materials for the structural components.

Economic Impact
~$2M/year estimated disaster loss risk reduction per facility (est.)
estimated ROI · USD · AI analysis
ROI Calculation Logic

Companies facing flood events could incur average annual losses of several hundred million JPY from structural damage, equipment loss, and business interruption. Assuming this technology reduces these loss risks by up to 90%, an equivalent economic benefit is expected. For example, a company with average annual losses of $2M (AI est.) could see a loss avoidance effect of $1.8M (AI est.) per year.

Speed to Market
4× faster than in-house development
This technology, invented by the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience, is based on established fundamental principles. The operating mechanism of the link system, which restricts purely vertical movement, is clearly defined and achievable with existing mechanical engineering knowledge. While no commercial implementations exist yet, the robust scientific foundation from a reputable research institution suggests licensees could significantly shorten development timelines compared to in-house efforts, enabling faster market entry.
Competitive Positioning

X: Disaster Resilience Performance
Y: Asset Protection Efficiency

Business Models & Applications
📝 Technology Licensing Model
License this technology for integration into existing products or services, enabling manufacturing and sales by the licensee. Ideal for partnerships with major construction and civil engineering firms.
🏗️ Product & System Sales Model
Develop and directly sell the elevating disaster-resilient structure, with this technology at its core, to customers (governments, corporations, individuals). Offers end-to-end design and construction services.
💡 Solution Provision Model
Propose and implement this technology as a retrofit solution for existing buildings and infrastructure. This model combines consulting services with construction and installation.
Adjacent Application Opportunities
🌊 Port & Coastal Facilities
Enhanced Disaster Protection for Maritime Infrastructure
This technology could protect critical port control towers, mooring facilities, and small vessel storage from tsunamis and storm surges. It would contribute to stable maritime operations and rapid recovery, safeguarding vital logistics channels and potentially reducing port downtime by over 50%.
🌉 Bridge & Road Infrastructure
Flood Protection for Bridge Piers & Roadways
The technology could be adapted to elevate bridge pier bases or sections of roadways in response to rising floodwaters, mitigating inundation damage and soil erosion. This has the potential to reduce transportation network disruption risks by up to 70% and secure critical emergency routes during disasters.
💡 Renewable Energy Facilities
Foundation Protection for Offshore Wind Turbines
Applying this technology to the foundations of offshore wind turbines could protect structures from high waves, storm surges, and seabed shifts. This would ensure stable operation of facilities, potentially extending operational lifespan by 15-20% and enhancing the resilience of renewable energy infrastructure.
Integration Roadmap — Estimated 27-Month Deployment
Phase 1: Technology Evaluation & Concept Design
Duration: 4 months
Evaluate the feasibility of this technology and conduct basic design for its application to target structures. This includes specific link mechanism design and skirt material selection.
Phase 2: Prototype Development & Validation
Duration: 9 months
Develop a full-scale or scaled prototype based on the concept design, then validate elevation movement, horizontal stability, and skirt member functionality.
Phase 3: Demonstration & Commercial Rollout
Duration: 14 months
Conduct real-world demonstration experiments, followed by final system optimization and establishment of mass production capabilities. Subsequently, initiate full commercial deployment into the market.
Technical Feasibility
This technology is based on clear mechanical principles, using a link mechanism to connect the base slab and floor slab for purely vertical building movement. The mechanism described in the patent claims and detailed specifications is fully achievable by combining existing civil engineering, construction, and mechanical engineering knowledge. The use of skirt members minimizes external environmental impact, and its application to existing building foundations and ground structures is relatively straightforward, with potential for modularization to streamline implementation.
Success Scenario
Implementing this technology could enable critical facilities to avoid operational shutdowns and significant asset damage during anticipated large-scale flood events. This is expected to dramatically shorten recovery periods after a disaster, minimizing losses from business interruption. Consequently, it could enhance supply chain resilience for businesses and establish a competitive advantage.
Patent Record
APPLICATION NO.
特願2020-115105
REGISTRATION NO.
7496603
FILING DATE
2020/07/02
GRANT DATE
2024/05/30
EXPIRATION DATE
2040/07/02
PATENT HOLDER
国立研究開発法人防災科学技術研究所
Examination History
2023年05月12日
出願審査請求書
2024年02月07日
拒絶理由通知書
2024年03月18日
意見書
2024年03月18日
手続補正書（自発・内容）
2024年05月15日
特許査定