Kojima Industries Corporation and TactoTek® sign Licensing Agreement to expand IMSE® reach in Asian Markets

• ‍With Kojima Industries Corporation (KIC) located in Toyota City, the licensing agreement gives IMSE access to one of the heartlands of the world’s automotive ecosystems.

• The signed licensing agreement provides KIC with a comprehensive package of intellectual property and know-how for the IMSE engineering, product development and mass production of smart illumination and HMI applications for automotive interiors.

• ‍TactoTek’s investor, and distributor in Japan, Cornes Technologies Limited, was fundamental to ensuring the adoption of critical IMSE technology.

Oulu, Finland and Toyota-shi, Japan – TactoTek, the Finnish IMSE technology pioneer, and Kojima Industries Corporation (KIC) have signed the licensing agreement to develop smart surfaces using TactoTek’s pioneering IMSE technology. IMSE technology enables the design and development of Smart 3D surfaces and Human Machine Interfaces (HMI) that enable the design of smart interfaces within the automobile with a combination of intelligent light and touch functions.

TactoTek’s IMSE technology also helps KIC to build environmentally conscious design, significantly reducing the use of materials, simplifying manufacturing process, as well as required assembly, while enabling transportation efficiency and reducing the overall CO2 footprint by up to 60% compared to conventional solutions.

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‍Differentiate through the intelligent light

Takashi Setoguchi, Operating Officer, Headquarters of Interior Business Area at Kojima Industries Corporation: “KIC customers are looking for innovative interior solutions. The industry is moving towards differentiating with light. For premium models, the combination of illumination and functionality is increasing. IMSE technology provides the freedom to design, innovative, and interactive smart interior surfaces, that are programmable, and customizable. IMSE technology changes the way in which we look at automotive interiors, by digitizing the interior in a car.”

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An important step in scaling IMSE technology to the Japanese ecosystem, and enabling the mass adoption of our technology

According to Sami Hyyryläinen, SVP Field Operations at TactoTek, “This is a big step  forward for TactoTek into the Japanese automotive segment and especially in the ecosystems around Toyota City. We are delighted to partner with KIC in building the IMSE licensee base also in Japan, and we look forward to successful cooperation together.”

TactoTek will support KIC to enable new applications and to achieve new business targets. Furthermore, “KIC will be one of our first customers to utilize our new delivery platform TactoTek Online – an interactive platform combining our IP, Reference Design, and innovative Training module.”

TactoTek’s distributor and sales partner in Japan, Cornes Technologies Limited, is delighted to enable KIC to access TactoTek’s technology through this licensing deal. Cornes has been critical in building the relationship and ensuring the successful start of this partnership.

“IMSE is a path-breaking technology that combines the freedom to design sustainably. Globally accepted as a critical technology in Automotive and Aviation markets, and verified by OEMs in Germany and US, we are delighted to bring this to the Japanese markets. We understood the potential of this technology early on, and as an investor in TactoTek, we are pleased to see market acceptance of this critical technology.” says Makoto Seki, Representative Managing Director, of Cornes Technologies Limited.

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About TactoTek

TactoTek is the leading provider of Injection Molded Structural Electronics (IMSE®) solutions that integrate printed circuitry and electronic components into 3D injection molded smart surfaces. Leading IMSE use cases include human-machine interfaces (HMI), connectivity, and electronic styling features for automotive, smart homes, appliances, and other markets. IMSE outperforms conventional electronics manufacturing methods by reducing Greenhouse gas emissions significantly. Benefiting from simulated design processes and reduced material use, IMSE Designed smart surfaces are considerably lighter in mass, leading to substantial lifetime greenhouse gas reductions. TactoTek develops and industrializes IMSE technology, creates mass production-ready IMSE prototypes, and licenses IMSE technology for 3rd party IMSE part design and global mass production.

TactoTek is funded by international leaders in finance and industry committed to advancing technology solutions that benefit consumers and the environment. TactoTek investors include Conor Venture Partners, 3M Ventures, Repsol Energy Ventures, Faurecia Ventures, Voima Ventures, Tesi, Nidoco AB, and Cornes. For more information, please visit tactotek.com.

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About Kojima Industries Corporation

Kojima Industries Corporation is an automotive parts manufacturer that develops, designs, and manufactures interior and exterior parts installed in automobiles, including interior products that provide comfortable interior spaces and zero-emission products that improve environmental performance. For more information, please visit www.kojima-tns.co.jp.

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About Cornes Technologies Ltd

Cornes Technologies Limited is a leading specialist importer and distributor with unrivalled experience in the promotion, marketing and sale of innovative products and advanced technologies sourced from overseas to satisfy the needs of Japanese business and industry. Working closely with its network of international partners around the globe, Cornes Technologies Limited prides itself on a proven ability to respond swiftly, flexibly and successfully in providing its customers with the very best that the world has to offer. Cornes Technologies Limited is also a manufacture of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) systems for export around the world. For more information, please visit cornestech.co.jp/en.

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‍Media Contacts

TactoTek

Karthikesh Raju

SVP Product Management and Marketing,

[email protected]