This November, Alchemie Technology was honoured to be selected as one of only 12 European companies for the EIT Global Outreach: Calling2Scale Gunma—an initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union, launched in partnership with the Governor of Gunma's office.
Representing Alchemie was our CEO and Founder, Dr. Alan Hudd, who spent several days in Gunma Prefecture meeting regional leaders, industry partners, and local textile manufacturers to explore how our clean, digital dyeing and finishing technology can support Japan’s industrial future.
Japan as the Next Launchpad for Alchemie
Gunma—one of Japan’s most active industrial regions, is known for its precision engineering, advanced manufacturing, and deep-rooted craftsmanship. For Alchemie, The Scale to Japan program represents a pivotal entry point into a market that has historically led the world in textile technology.
A Welcome from Gunma’s Leadership
During the opening session at NETSUGEN on the 32nd floor of the Gunma Prefectural Office, Governor Ichita Yamamoto personally welcomed the delegation. In his blog, he writes:
At the session, Dr. Hudd presented how Alchemie’s 10-micron droplet technology, applied through Endeavour™ and Novara™, can help Japan rapidly shift toward water-free, precision-controlled, energy-efficient textile dyeing and finishing.
Endeavour™ is Alchemie’s production-ready digital dyeing system that replaces traditional water-intensive dyeing with precise, 10-micron droplets for deep colour penetration, exceptional accuracy, and dramatically reduced environmental impact. Novara™, its complementary digital finishing platform, applies functional chemistries with the same level of precision, enabling consistent, high-performance finishes without excess chemicals, heat, or water. Together, the two systems provide a fully electrified, closed-loop alternative to conventional dyeing and finishing, offering Japanese manufacturers a pathway to modernise production while lowering operating costs and improving quality.
Seeing Japan’s Manufacturing Challenges Firsthand
Throughout the visit, Alchemie was met with strong support from the Governor, Gunma Prefecture officials, and the EIT Global Outreach team. One of the most valuable moments was a visit to a local textile facility, where Dr. Hudd gained direct insight into the day-to-day pressures facing Japanese mills. He noted:
The conversations highlighted a shared urgency: Japan’s textile industry needs sustainable, accurate, and non-disruptive alternatives to ageing dyeing processes, and that is exactly the problem Alchemie was built to solve.
Why Gunma Matters for Alchemie
For Alchemie, Gunma represents more than a new market, it’s a region that mirrors the challenges faced by dyehouses worldwide, such as:
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Rising energy costs
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Limited water availability
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Inefficiencies caused by legacy dyeing machinery
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Growing ESG expectations from brands and consumers
These pressures align directly with the benefits Alchemie delivers:
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Up to 85% energy reduction
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Up to 95% wastewater elimination
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Exceptional colour accuracy (ΔE < 0.5)
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Electrified, water-free dyeing with no infrastructure limitations.
Gunma provides the perfect environment for Alchemie to demonstrate how its clean-tech solutions can solve real-world production challenges, all while supporting Japan’s ambition to lead in low-impact manufacturing.
Through the Calling2Scale programme, Alchemie is now positioned to accelerate its work in Japan by initiating local pilots and demonstrations of Endeavour™ and Novara™, co-developing solutions with Japanese partners, expanding market entry into the wider Asian textile sector, and strengthening long-term collaborations with regional mills, brands, and corporates. The programme has already created valuable momentum and opened the doors needed to build a strong and lasting presence in Japan as demand continues to grow for digital, electrified, production-ready dyeing systems.
Read more about this event here