In the last week of January, a NanoNextNL business delegation visited the Nanotech Expo Japan in Tokyo. This event is one of the world’s largest integrated nanotechnology exhibitions with over 1,400 companies exhibiting and over 48,000 visitors, providing a ‘nano’ gateway to Asia. Delegates of the NanoNextNL delegation joined in several business matches with Japanese companies that best fit the business interests of NanoNextNL partners and startups. Featured topics were Nano materials, Nano evaluation & measurement and Nano fabrication technology.
Participating in the NanoNextNL business delegation
The delegates of the NanoNextNL Japan mission were encouraged to consider the benefit of joining the mission and were expected to finance at least half of the visit themselves. All business delegates are a partner of NanoNextNL, and most a participant in the NanoNextNL Valorisation Programme. The Expo spanned three days: 27/01-29/01. With considerable help from the Innovation attachés of the Dutch Embassy in Tokyo, several business matches were organised with Japanese companies that best fit the business interests of NanoNextNL partners and startups.
Potential end-users such as Fuji and Toshiba
The delegates expressed much enthusiasm about the visit. They considered it to be a well organised and valuable mission which comprised numerous contacts and several meetings. These contacts ranged from large potential end-users such as Fuji and Toshiba, to Japanese distributors interested in the product portfolio of the delegates. After returning home, the delegates reported follow-on contacts. Meeting the other NanoNextNL delegates was also deemed highly valuable. All delegates reported that they are interested in joining a future mission to the Nanotech Expo Japan and expressed the preference of exhibiting in a communal booth such as a ‘Holland pavilion’.
Mission and participants NanoNextNL delegation Nanotech Expo Japan
The mission of the NanoNextNL business delegation visiting Nanotech Expo Japan was to:
- Provide first-hand experience with business opportunities, cultures and channels in the Japanese and wider Asian market.
- Identify relevant key contacts (decision makers, R&D centres, potential business partners etc.).
- Establish relationships with potential partners (trade and technology).
- Benefit from face-to-face meetings leading to possible business opportunities.
The participants of the NanoNextNL business delegation to Nanotech Expo Japan were:
- Jasper van Weerd, Founder & Managing Director, LipoCoat (U/Twente)
- Vladimir Kogan, Scientific Director, DANNALAB
- Eric Kievit, Sales Director, DENSsolutions
- Aaike van Vugt, CEO, VSParticle (TU/Delft)
- Daan Bijl, CEO, SmartTip
- Siebe van Mensfoort, CEO, Simbeyond (TU/Eindhoven)
- Bart van Limpt, CEO, Delft IMP (TU/Delft)
- Ardi Dortmans, Program Manager Complexity/Circular Economy/Principal Scientist, TNO
- Dick Koster, Business Director, NanoNextNL
- Raoul Oostenbrink, Business Development Manager, NanoNextNL
NanoNextNL business delegation at traditional Japanese dinner –
Clockwise: Jasper van Weerd (LipoCoat), Eric Kievit (DENSsolutions), Raoul Oostenbrink (NanoNextNL), Ardi Dortmans (TNO), Daan Bijl (SmartTip), Dick Koster (NanoNextNL), Aaike van Vugt (VS Particle), Vladimir Kogan (Dannalab), Jan-Hein Chrisstoffels (Dutch Embassy) and Kikuo Hayakawa (Dutch Embassy).
