Special Focus: Optics and Photonics

Topics:

The photonic technology will affect in a cross-cutting way many branches of the already well-established industries. According to the Japanese Industrial Standards latest report, in FY2016 the Japanese photonic market was valued at ¥14 billion. Of all the technological categories taken into account, only the laser/optical processing sector gained a stunning +18.1% (in this section, modern 3D printers are included). The main component of the market remained the display/solid-state lighting field (37.5%) and input/output equipment field (23.7%), closely followed by photovoltaic products (19.9%). To read more, please click on the link below: 

About Optics & Photonics

In 2016, Japan had the second highest number of fixed broadband subscriptions of all OECD countries. Of Japan’s 38.7 million fixed broadband subscriptions, 75% were fibre. This is the highest percentage out of all OECD countries, where the average is 21.2%. However, the annual growth of fibre subscriptions in Japan is among the lowest of the OECD. From 2015 to 2016 there was a 5% growth in subscriptions in Japan compared to an OECD average of 15%. There exists a difference between the broadband penetration rates of fixed and mobile broadband in Japan. Although Japan is not in the top 5 of OECD countries with the highest fixed broadband penetration rates, Japan is the number one country for mobile broadband penetration. At the end of 2016, this was 30% for fixed broadband and 152% for mobile broadband. To find out more, please see below: 

About Optical Networks

Laser technology has a wide range of applications in diverse sectors, such as in heavy industry, medicine, military, and the entertainment industries to name a few. Commercial laser revenues have increased dramatically in the last few years. One of the main reasons for this success is the intensive use of laser technologies in the semiconductor industry, which produces microchips for high-tech electronic devices. The increase in consumption of these “smart” devices such as phones or tablets has represented an important opportunity for growth in the laser industry. The production process of such technologically advanced apparatus requires lasers to cut, mark, anneal, and pattern the miniaturised internal components and to micro-drill the external chassis. For further reading, please click below: 

About Laser

Publications:

 Japan is still a very relevant market for photonics with a 30% global market share (2015) including overseas’ production. The report titled Photonics for life science and industrial manufacturing, business and cooperation opportunities in Japan, aims at giving EU SMEs the market intelligence to make better-informed decisions when entering the Japanese market. It includes overviews on several topics, among which: the photonics market, its distributors and associations, research funding and public procurement opportunities, relevant events in Japan. To access the report, please click below:

Report: Photonics and cooperation opportunities in Japan

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality are still a nascent industry worldwide, but Japan is already a primary market and an innovator particularly in the gaming field. This report titled "Japan's Virtual and Augmented Reality Market" aims to act as a guide for this recent industry in Japan, and to locate opportunity spaces for European entrepreneurs and investors to connect with the market. For further reading, please click below: 

Report: Virtual and Augmented Reality Market in Japan

Past Webinars:

AR and VR environment in Japan: 

Augmented reality and Virtual reality are still technologies in development but with a lot of potential in many domains. The Japanese government issued a report as early as 2016 about the expected long-term positive effects on the Japanese economy brought by AR and VR. The Japanese AR and VR market has a lot of strong players in the gaming field including Sony for Hardware or Bandai Namco and GREE for software. To access the recording and the related materials, please click below: 

Webinar 129: AR and VR environment in Japan