Comptek Solutions from Finland showcases Europe’s edge in semiconductors at SEMICON Japan 2024

Comptek Solutions, a deep tech company from Turku, Finland, participated in the EU Business Hub @ SEMICON Japan 2024 business mission, bringing to Tokyo its revolutionary Kontrox™ surface passivation technology – and returning with new leads and a sharpened path into one of the world’s most competitive markets.

Pioneering European innovation in chip performance

Comptek Solutions enhances the performance and reliability of semiconductor chips through their unique technology Kontrox™. This technology optimises the chip surface, significantly boosting their overall performance. This is especially important for high-tech devices like lasers, micro-LEDs, infrared sensors, and power chips used in electronics and energy systems.

“We are not just improving devices,” explains Vicente Calvo Alonso, CEO & Co-Founder at Comptek Solutions. “We are redefining what’s possible in optoelectronics and power semiconductors by engineering surface quality at the nanoscale.”

With its world-leading optoelectronics and gallium nitride (GaN) power device sectors, Japan was a natural target for expansion. Comptek had already established some relationships in the country, including an investment from Hamamatsu Photonics, but saw the EU Business Hub’s structured business mission as a catalyst to deepen its footprint.

“The business mission gave us the visibility, trust, and access we needed,” Mr Alonso shared. “It was an ideal setting to debut our turnkey passivation tool, the Kontrox™ LASE 16, and to meet some of the industry’s most respected names – including Rohm, Mitsubishi, and Ushio.”

The business mission’s impact: from exposure to execution

Through careful preparation, tailored coaching, and a targeted meeting schedule, the EU Business Hub enabled Comptek to focus on the most relevant potential partners, including optoelectronic and GaN chip manufacturers. The matchmaking proved both efficient and impactful.

“We were impressed by the calibre of the meetings and the openness of discussions,” the Comptek team noted. “Many of the contacts we met are now in active follow-up. Some have progressed into technical exchanges under NDA, while others are exploring co-development and technology validation.”

Comptek is now actively pursuing strategic partnerships in Japan, with several companies already evaluating Kontrox™ for integration into existing product pipelines. The credibility gained through the EU Pavilion presence, coupled with in-person technical demonstrations, played a key role in accelerating business conversations in Japan’s traditionally relationship-driven market.

Beyond leads and potential deals, the business mission also offered invaluable insight: “Our experience at SEMICON Japan 2024 largely confirmed our expectations: a partnership-oriented and thoughtful approach to new business, within a market that moves at its own deliberate pace. Japan is a sophisticated and rewarding market — and with the EU Business Hub’s support in building trust and opening doors, we are well placed to take the right next steps.”

Looking ahead: continued engagement and scale

Following the business mission, Comptek has planned follow-up visits and co-development activities with Japanese stakeholders. The company is also exploring multi-channel strategies – including direct customer engagement, public innovation programmes, and local partnerships – to scale the adoption of its technology.

“The EU Business Hub gave us a valuable springboard into the Japanese semiconductor ecosystem,” Mr Alonso summarised. “Thanks to their expert coordination and matchmaking, we were able to introduce our cutting-edge technology to top-tier industry players and begin meaningful conversations that would have taken months to arrange independently.”

Learn more

Discover our business missions: https://eubusinesshub.eu/missions-catalogue.

Explore more about the EU Business Hub programme and how we can help your company grow internationally: https://eubusinesshub.eu/about-programme.

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EU Business Hub – Japan and the Republic of Korea is an EU-funded programme launched in 2024 to support EU SMEs and start-ups in the Green and Low-Carbon, Digital, Healthcare and Medical Equipment sectors in expanding into the Japanese and Korean markets. Between 2024 and 2027, the programme is organising 20 sector-focused business missions – 10 in each market – with services including strategic coaching, matchmaking, local interpretation, and full logistical support. The EU Business Hub is the successor programme of the EU Business Avenues / EU Gateway to Japan.