Japanese DNP opens Dutch R&D hub in partnership with TNO
High Tech Campus Eindhoven will help DNP to push the boundaries of Co-Packaged Optics for faster, greener semiconductor applications.
Published on September 2, 2025
DNP at the opening of the Eindhoven branch
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Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (DNP), a leading Japanese technology company, and TNO have established DNP’s first overseas R&D center at the High Tech Campus Eindhoven. This strategic partnership focuses on advancing Co-Packaged Optics, a key enabler of next-generation semiconductor technologies.
Through this collaboration, DNP aims to strengthen its global R&D footprint while contributing to the Dutch innovation landscape. For TNO, the partnership reinforces its mission to bridge fundamental research and industrial application.
As global data volumes surge due to generative AI and digital transformation, the energy demands of data centers have become a pressing societal issue. Co-Packaged Optics, the integration of optical and electronic technologies, offers a breakthrough solution. It enables ultra-fast data processing with significantly lower power consumption, making it a promising candidate for future semiconductor applications.
Joint research program
DNP and TNO will collaborate with the Photonic Integration Technology Centre (PITC) to conduct a three-year joint research program. The focus will be on developing advanced packaging components that integrate optical and electrical circuits. This includes leveraging DNP’s expertise in microfabrication and precision coating, and TNO’s applied research capabilities and system integration know-how.
Hideto Sakata, Corporate Officers, Head of Technology and R&D Division at DNP: "We expect this collaboration will elevate our global technology strategy and contribute to sustainable digital infrastructure. By establishing a new R&D center in HTCE, the smartest global high-tech cluster, we will accelerate open innovation and advanced technologies such as integrated photonics."
Ton van Mol, managing director at TNO: "We are honored that DNP has chosen Eindhoven as their first overseas base for innovation, a decision that reinforces our country’s leadership in key enabling technologies such as integrated photonics. These international partnerships also play a vital role in helping the Netherlands achieve its ambition of investing 3% of GDP in R&D."
DNP was established in 1876, and has become a leading global company that leverages print-based solutions to engineer fresh business opportunities while protecting the environment and creating a more vibrant world for all. Its core competencies are in microfabrication and precision coating technology, providing products for the display, electronic device, and optical film markets.