Nanotech Business Mission in Japan – Advanced materials, processes and enabling technologies

Please note that this page is still under construction; content relating to the new mission will be available shortly.

Are you running a business that specialises in advanced materials, processes or enabling technologies?

Would you like to develop business in Japan and beyond?

The EU-Japan Centre invites European companies and clusters to apply to the Nanotech Business Mission in Japan in December 2026. The mission includes participation in nano tech 2026, a leading Japanese trade fair for advanced materials, processes and enabling technologies.

ABOUT THE MISSION

The Nanotech Mission offers a unique entry point into the Japanese market. Mission participants will exhibit and take part in nano tech 2026, held at Tokyo Big Sight, a leading fair in Japan for materials, processes and enabling technologies addressing current technological and societal challenges. nano tech 2026 is jointly held with related fairs such as neo-functional material, Surtech, Convertech, MEMS Sensing & Network System, Renewable Energy and InterAqua. All co-located events together attracted 52,844 attendees, 385 exhibiting companies and organisations in the last edition.

This mission offers:

• Exhibition space under the joint EU-Japan Centre booth at nano tech 2026
• Tailored 1-to-1 meetings with Japanese counterparts, pre-arranged with the EU-Japan Centre’s support
• Networking opportunities with Japanese and international stakeholders

Number of participants: up to 16

SERVICES OFFERED BEFORE THE MISSION

Before travelling to Japan, participants will be provided with two online training modules to prepare for the mission. The sessions are currently scheduled in the mornings of 19 and 20 November (TBC). Details of the agenda for each day of training will be communicated in due course.

PLANNED SCHEDULE

OBJECTIVES

• Help EU companies initiate and develop connections in Japan
• Support EU companies with identifying potential partners for future business and innovation partnerships
• Offer first-hand exposure and promotion of EU companies’ technologies and services to prospective clients in Japan
• Support EU firms with actionable insights into the Japanese market, IP regulation, public procurement opportunities and the R&D landscape

PARTICIPANT PROFILE

This call for applications targets individuals working for companies, including SMEs (*) and large companies, or clusters (**), from the European Union or a country associated with the Single Market Programme, SME Pillar (***).

The mission targets companies and clusters providing advanced materials, advanced processes and related enabling technologies.

We focus on companies offering late-stage or commercially deployable technologies with demonstrated applicability to real-world industrial challenges, particularly in areas such as advanced materials, process engineering, materials development and process optimisation, semiconductor-related technologies and sustainable material solutions.

Applicants are expected to present a clear use case, proven or pilot deployment experience, and a strong capacity to integrate into existing industrial environments.

(*) Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are companies that meet the standard criteria set by the European Commission to be classified as SMEs.

(**) Clusters are those who are registered in the European Cluster Collaboration Platform (https://clustercollaboration.eu/). Registration on that platform is free of charge.

(***) Please check the status of your country here.

EXAMPLES OF RELEVANT TECHNOLOGY AREAS

• Advanced and functional materials, such as carbon nanomaterials, nanocellulose, ceramics, catalysts, thin films and functional coatings
• Process engineering technologies, including dispersion, coating, bonding and adhesion, plasma, surface treatment, inkjet and 3D printing
• Materials development and process optimisation technologies, including materials informatics, AI-supported material design, simulation and advanced analytical technologies
• Semiconductor and electronics-related technologies, including MEMS, nanoimprint, ALD, sensor technologies, thermal management, quantum technologies and advanced thin-film processes
• Environmental and sustainable material solutions, including renewable energy materials, biomass-derived materials, PFAS alternatives, material recycling, biodegradable materials, advanced membranes and filtration solutions

ELIGIBILITY

The applicant must:

• work for a legal entity located in the European Union, or in a country associated with the Single Market Programme, SME Pillar (***)
• have its (group) company/cluster headquarters in an EU/SMP country   
• be supported by their head of department/CEO through a signed letter (in case they do not belong to senior management)
• be able to participate in the entire mission
• have a good command of English (recommended level B2 or higher)

Companies or clusters that are outside the scope of the defined sector/type-specific business mission will be rejected.

Companies and clusters are allowed to participate multiple times. If prior participation in a business mission has occurred, please clearly state in the application form the reason for reapplying and the expected benefits of participating again.

Applicants may be declined if they have previously cancelled their participation or were absent during part of a prior mission without a valid reason or have in any other way acted contrary to the guidelines of the mission, local laws, customs, and regulations or have disregarded the instructions of the Centre staff.

SELECTION

The Centre will evaluate applicants based on the following selection criteria:

• strategy and potential of their company/cluster regarding Japan
• relevance of their company/cluster for the topic of the mission and the targeted fair
• professional background of the applicant

The mission will accommodate a maximum of 16 participants. Other applicants who score at or above the average will be placed on a waitlist and ranked according to their scores. Only one application per company/cluster will be considered.

Please note that once selected, the applicant will be regarded as a participant in the business mission. Any changes to the participating employee from the selected company/cluster must be discussed with and approved by the EU-Japan Centre.

WHAT DO WE PROVIDE?

For all mission participants, the EU-Japan Centre will provide:

• Two online business and market training modules scheduled prior to the mission
• Entrance fees for events and the trade fair covered by the mission
• A standardised display stand in the shared booth of the EU-Japan Centre
• Assistance by EU-Japan Centre staff (such as for promotion, B2B meetings)
• Professional interpreters at the joint EU-Japan Centre booth and at the trade fair
• Translation of the poster and the company/cluster profile, as well as printing of the poster for the exhibition
• Tailored 1-to-1 meetings with Japanese counterparts (arranged by the EU-Japan Centre)
• Custom-built IP-related advice and Public Procurement Tender Scan (on-demand)
• Hotel accommodation, arranged by the EU-Japan Centre, from Monday 14 December to Friday 18 December (check-out morning). All selected participants will be provided with the same room type.

WHAT DO PARTICIPANTS NEED TO COVER?

All mission participants are responsible for covering:

• Flights and other travel expenses to the starting point of the mission in Japan and after completion of the mission.
• Living expenses in Japan including local transportation and meals. 

DEPOSIT AND CONTRIBUTION FEE

To secure their spot, all selected participants must pay a €1,000 deposit. This deposit will be refunded upon successful completion of full mission participation and submission of the required questionnaires.

Large companies (non-SMEs / non-clusters) must also pay a non-refundable contribution fee of €2,500 to secure their spot in the mission.

PENALTIES

In practice, the following penalties apply:

Last-minute cancellations made after confirming participation may result in the forfeiture of the deposit and, where applicable, the contribution fee. However, a refund is possible in cases of force majeure, such as natural disasters or other unforeseeable circumstances beyond the participant's control.

Failure to attend the mission (at the EU-Japan Centre booth or mandatory mission events): for each day that a participant is absent without a valid reason, between 200 and 250 EUR will be deducted (200 EUR for a 5-day mission, 250 EUR for a 4-day mission).

Please submit your application by 8 September 2026. We aim to inform applicants of the selection results around 15 or 16 September 2026.

Any questions? Please contact h.koyano@eu-japan.eu.

The organisation of the Nanotech Business Mission is pending the receipt of an EU grant for the activities of the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation for the period covering cycle 2026–2028 of the programme. Please therefore note that this call is subject to the award and signature of an EU Grant Agreement, and may therefore be adjusted or cancelled if necessary.