Stay ahead as an innovation hub: OPERA Solutions’ CEO interviewed by JMTC
Fukuoka, Japan, Jan 24, 2025—Mr. Koyu Urata, Founder & CEO of Japan Material Technologies Corporation, has visited HQs of OPERA Solutions Inc and interviewed Dr. Kentaro Harada, Co-founder & CEO of OPERA Solutions, to learn his vision.
Urata asked the business model and strength of the company. "OPERA Solutions provide industry with R&D services. We are commissioned to conduct R&D projects such as prototyping, proof-of-concept and proof-of-value, and then return the results to the clients to accelerate their business development." Harada said, adding "OPERA Solutions are the intellectuals of the intellectuals in organic electronics. Based on this technical background, OPERA Solutions' strength lies in its ability to hybridize organic device architecture and semiconductor process technology. Furthermore, our technical strength lies in our ability to run various R&D projects that meet the demands of clients."
OPERA Solutions is still a small startup. As to the key to success in company's business "People overseas know that in Japan, each engineer does an extremely good job for his or her pride, noy for money. Overseas companies with abundant funds would like to make good use of Japan's R&D capabilities, but it is difficult from them to find all the subcontractors themselves. Here is the meaning of our existence. We are the playmaker to direct and outsource the clients’ demand to appropriate Japanese foundries if necessary." he explained.
"Unlike usual startups, we did not have any strong IPs from university, but we had sales from the beginning instead and steadily gained strength. From now on, we will strategically market ourselves by accumulating proprietary IPs. We hope to acquire investment in new applications that will continue to sell well, such as micro-OLEDs and sensors. We will be the playmaker of implementation of the applications and at the same time, we hope to stay together with i³-opera (Fukuoka i³ Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics Research) as an innovation hub." he concluded with his vision.
A full version of this interview in Japanese appears in print on the web page of JMTC Chemical and Materials Startup Web Seminar.
OPERA Solutions is an innovation hub for soft electronics. By undertaking contract research for industries, we help customers accelerate their product development and hence accelerate the launch of cutting-edge applications in the market.
