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The Seiko Epson Corporation has just announced the October opening of a new collaborative inkjet laboratory at its Fujimi Plant in Nagano Prefecture in Japan.

Called the Fujimi Inkjet Innovation Lab, the facility will begin operations in October. Epson will use the Fujimi Inkjet Innovation Lab to conduct joint research with a wide range of research institutes and companies that are looking to apply inkjet technology in industrial processes. Epson will develop new applications and unearth needs for inkjet technology, create new markets for inkjet printing, and accelerate the use of its inkjet printheads in industry.
 

Epson’s current three-year plan includes strategies to accelerate growth by taking maximum advantage of its assets and by engaging in collaboration and open innovation. In inkjet, Epson is seeking more open innovation opportunities and is expanding external sales of inkjet printheads that incorporate the versatile PrecisionCore technology.

The Fujimi Inkjet Innovation Lab is intended to help achieve these aims.  The lab is equipped with an inkjet printing machine and inkjet evaluation unit that employ Epson inkjet printheads, as well as other equipment that can be used for the trial fabrication and evaluation of electronic devices. Lab users can draw on Epson’s expertise as they explore the potential for inkjet technology in all kinds of applications.

The use of printing systems in the production of touch sensors, OLED panels, and innumerable other devices is expected to grow. Epson will expand the scope of inkjet applications by using the lab as a center primarily for collaborating with research institutes and companies that are innovating inkjet production processes or developing new inkjet-compatible materials. Epson will accumulate knowledge and insights through the work performed at the lab and will drive further advances in its inkjet printheads for industrial use.
 

“Our goal is to pioneer new printing and production processes for customers by providing solutions based on Epson’s inkjet printheads,” said Satoshi Hosono of the company’s Technology Development Division. “Our printheads boast numerous advantages, including outstanding printing performance, environmental performance, and ink compatibility. We see the Fujimi Inkjet Innovation Lab as the first step toward expanding the number of locations for forging partnerships with those who share our aspirations and for collaborating to drive innovation.”