Digital dyeing and finishing systems specialist Alchemie Technology, based in Cambridge, UK, has taken part in the Calling2Scale Gunma programme organised by the the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT).

The programme was aimed at supporting advanced European startups seeking entry into the Japanese market with targeted matchmaking and on-site visits and pitching opportunities in Gunma.

Gunma lies in the centre of Japan’s main island, Honshu, sitting north-west of Tokyo and entirely landlocked. Its position on key inland routes allowed it to develop early manufacturing strength, while its proximity to Tokyo placed it within the wider economic sphere of the capital without losing its distinct regional character.

The Gunma Textile Technology Promotion Association represents approximately 60 textile-related companies from across the value chain and is supported by the Gunma Textile Research Institute, a public R&D and testing centre founded in 1905.

In November, Alchemie ran local pilots of its Endeavour and Novara systems, co-developing solutions with Japanese partners. The programme has generated momentum and opened doors to establish a strong, lasting presence as demand grows for digital, electrified, production-ready dyeing and finishing systems.

Through strategic engagements with local mills and innovation partners, the Endeavour and Novara platforms demonstrated how precision digital application can replace resource-intensive dyeing and coating processes at an industrial scale.

Endeavour waterless digitally controlled dyeing enables colour application with drastically lower energy use and carbon emissions, enabling to scale sustainable production without compromising colour performance or consistency. Novara builds on this by enabling the accurate, non-contact application of functional chemistries – from performance coatings to water-repellent and antiviral finishes – using significantly less chemistry, generating no wastewater and allowing selective or two-sided application that traditional methods cannot achieve.

With a strong base in Taiwan and growing partnerships across Asia, Alchemie sees the Gunma programme as a strategic gateway to expand in Japan and showcase how clean, digital manufacturing can transform the textile industry.

“Our visit to Gunma could not have been better,” said Alchemie CEO Dr Alan Hudd. “We found a perfect partner and customers with synergy in protecting the world from increased pollution due to the textile industry. I believe Japan will act and work to transform the textile industry at pace. Japanese companies have always pioneered innovation for the inkjet printing of textiles and now it is the time to change how we digitally dye textiles. Alchemie is up for this challenge and we look forward to serving the Japanese market.”

www.alchemietechnology.com