In June, IQS nano signed an agreement with the Japanese company SIJ Technology for partnership and distribution of their 3D printers based on two-photon polymerization technology. SIJ Technology, a spin-off from the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan, has long been engaged in the development and sale of ultra-precise inkjet printing devices. Representatives of the company believe that combining their ultra-fine ink technology with the Czech microscopic structural printing will bring significant benefits for research in biomedicine, optics, and electronics.

President Kazuhira Murata expects the greatest interest to come from biomedical applications. The Czech technology allows the creation of films made of microscopic needles shorter than 1 mm and with diameters less than 50 microns. Onto the tips of these needles, drugs can be precisely applied using SIJ Technology according to the specific needs of individual patients. This technological synergy also offers broad possibilities in regenerative medicine, for example, in creating “scaffolds” for cell cultivation.

According to Murata, the company has already received about ten serious inquiries from research institutions. The purchase price of the Czech IQnano 3D printer, launched last year, is 85 million yen (approximately 12.5 million CZK), which is 20–50% less than competing devices with similar specifications. Moreover, the Japanese partner initially plans to offer prototype manufacturing services, allowing interested parties from universities, research institutions, and corporate development departments to verify the benefits of this unique Czech-Japanese technological combination before investing in expensive equipment.

Our agency also assisted IQS nano’s entry into the Japanese market. Representatives of the Czech company presented their technology as part of the CzechTrade national exposition at the BioJapan 2024 trade fair in Yokohama, Japan. Participation at the fair was further complemented by targeted outreach to potential business and research partners.

Source: Nikkei

Prepared by the team of foreign offices CzechTrade Osaka and Tokyo