How Welsh Innovative Technology has Changed the World
On January 9, the British Embassy Tokyo welcomed a delegation led by the Welsh Government’s deputy director for International Relations and Overseas Network, Ffion Thomas. They were in Japan to promote Welsh technology, food, drink and culture, a new bilateral campaign, and the nation’s appearance at the Osaka Expo from 13 April to 13 October.
Ms Thomas said, “Wales and Japan aim to stimulate new economic and cultural partnerships between the two nations, bringing long-lasting benefits to both countries.”

The event was held a day after the official launch in Cardiff of “Wales and Japan 2025,” a year-long campaign hosted by Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan and Japanese Ambassador Hiroshi Suzuki.
Home to 70 Japanese companies, Wales enjoys long-standing economic ties with Japan, particularly FDI since the 1970s. A Welsh-funded ÂŁ150,000 Wales Japan Culture Fund will soon develop new artistic collaborations, engage new audiences and strengthen existing partnerships.
Wales and Japan have deep-rooted connections which stretch back to the 19th century, when Welsh innovation played an important role in shaping Japan’s transport network. Today, that partnership thrives in new and meaningful ways.
Key speakers included Welsh Government Representative to Japan Richard Koizumi and Susumu Kaminaga, a former president of Sumitomo Precision Products and a former chairman of Clwb Hiraeth, founded in 1992 by senior executives of Japanese corporations who had worked and lived in Wales.

He received the 2024 IEEE Robert Bosch Micro and Nano Electro Mechanical Systems Award for the development and commercialization of Deep Reactive Ion Etching technology over 30 years from the US Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the world’s largest and most prestigious technical professional organization.
Kaminaga said: “The innovative Deep Reactive Ion Etching technology, developed and commercialized at Surface Technology Systems (STS) acquired by Sumitomo Precision Products (SPP) in 1995, has contributed to the rapid growth of Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS). The technology has enabled accelerometers for airbags and gyro sensors for stabilization of automobiles followed by smartphones starting with iPhones and Internet of Things to emerge. It has been said that applications such as smartphones and the IoT world could not be available without development and commercialization of this technology.”
STS employed 70 staff in Abercarn near Newport, Caerphilly in South Wales when it was acquired by Sumitomo Precision Products in 1995. The company moved to a new facility near the M4, which was opened by King Charles, then the Prince of Wales. The company grew to employ more than 400 staff by 2000.
STS in Wales and SPP in Amagasaki in Hyogo Prefecture have since expanded the business, each having R&D and production capacity, to supply equipment with the innovative technology to global clients. Further development of technology to the new application, such as autonomous cars and robots, is expected.