West Midlands-based Lucideon expands with new offices in Japan

Photo: Kouji Kuroki, Senior Manager at the Japanese Fine Ceramic Association (JFCA), pictured with Dr Richard White, Lucideon’s Principal Consultant in materials, in Tokyo.

World-leading materials science and technology consultancy Lucideon is targeting international growth with expansion in the Japanese market.

The company has opened additional offices in Osaka and Haneda Innovation Park to access the nation’s high-value, advanced ceramics market.

Lucideon has been eyeing expansion in the country for several years, a move encouraged by the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which was signed in 2020.

Its work will be supported by partner representative, David Syrad, who has an impressive track record of driving growth for European and Asian businesses in Japan.

Tony Kinsella, CEO of Lucideon, said: “Japan is home to the largest advanced ceramic market in the world, with high levels of adoption in sectors including healthcare, aerospace, nuclear and consumer devices.

“As we expand globally, Japan has been a natural step for us. Our technologies and capabilities have been particularly well-received by Japanese industry and the atmosphere for business is very forward looking.

“There’s with a real appreciation of technological advantages that can give production improvements.”

Lucideon has already made significant in-roads in the country, with Dr Richard White, Principal Consultant in materials, recently invited to deliver a keynote speech at the Japanese Fine Ceramic Association (JFCA) in Tokyo.

Earlier this year, Lucideon joined JFCA which is committed to driving economic and technical growth within the advanced and engineering ceramics industry in Japan.

Dr White, who operates from Lucideon’s UK headquarters in Stone, spoke in Tokyo about the company’s work to support The AMRICC Centre, a new £10 million open-access facility based in Staffordshire, which has been developed to position the Midlands region at the centre of the multi-billion-pound global advanced ceramics sector.

A world-first, The AMRICC Centre operates under an open-access format, translating materials, processes, and technologies into real-world products and solutions by enabling product and process development to be carried out at an industrially relevant scale.

The facility is the physical outcome from the Midlands Industrial Ceramics Group’s (MICG) £18.27 million five-year research programme, funded by Government under UK Research and Innovation’s flagship Strength in Places Fund in 2021.

Lucideon is the overall financial sponsor of The AMRICC Centre, investing over £4 million to support it, including £800,000 to back the initial bid and significant investment to host and manage the facility, through funding and access to industry expertise.

Tony Kinsella added: “The AMRICC Centre has a significant role to play in the field of research and commercialisation in advanced ceramics between the UK and Japan.

“It’s an exciting opportunity for both countries.”

About The AMRICC Centre

The AMRICC Centre is the UK’s only advanced ceramics pilot-scale facility, providing the ability to rapidly solve materials development and production challenges, and thus accelerate products to market. Its critical mass, its breadth and depth of ceramic processing equipment, and its technologies, allow it to provide a unique resource for industry.

The AMRICC Centre serves as a Centre of Excellence for the development of advanced ceramic technologies. It combines capabilities from powder processing, forming, sintering, and testing, all the way through the manufacturing process – notably all in one place.