Filtronic & Marubun Corporation sign MoU to strengthen Japan’s communications resilience
Promises lower costs, simpler deployment & greater security for ground terminal operators
Filtronic plc (AIM: FTC), a leader in advanced RF, microwave and mmWave solutions, today announced that it has entered a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with leading Japanese electronics company Marubun Corporation to accelerate its expansion into the Japanese market.
The agreement represents an important strategic milestone for Filtronic, providing access to one of the world’s most advanced and attractive technology markets, while aligning closely with the UK Government’s strategic priorities to strengthen collaboration with Japan across space, defence and advanced technologies.
Marubun Corporation is a leading Japanese technology company with a long history of supporting innovation across the aerospace, defence and telecommunications sectors. Through its extensive partner ecosystem, deep market knowledge and established customer relationships, Marubun delivers high-value technical solutions to some of Japan’s most demanding industries.
Filtronic will bring its proven expertise in designing and manufacturing high-performance RF, microwave and mmWave solutions, supporting Japan’s growing requirement for resilient, high-capacity and dual-use communications capabilities. The partnership will also explore opportunities for joint research and development, technology co-development and the localisation of advanced high-frequency connectivity solutions to address the evolving needs of national space and defence programmes.
As part of the MoU, Marubun will provide an established route to market, identifying and evaluating emerging business opportunities and technology trends within Japan. The company will also support the growth of Filtronic’s brand presence in the region, facilitating engagement with key industry stakeholders, prospective partners and customers to accelerate market entry and long-term business development.
Together, Filtronic and Marubun aim to strengthen technological collaboration between the UK and Japan while enabling the delivery of next-generation communications capabilities for mission-critical applications.
Commenting on the MoU, Filtronic Chief Executive Officer, Nat Edington, said: “This partnership represents an exciting opportunity for Filtronic to collaborate with an established industry leader. Marubun Corporation has an outstanding reputation and a proven track record across the space and defence electronics sectors. Asia-Pacific is a strategically important growth market for Filtronic, with Japan playing a central role in our long-term ambitions. As a key strategic partner for the UK, Japan presents significant opportunities, and this relationship marks an important milestone in the execution of our APAC growth strategy.”
Chotaro Yasuda, Executive director, Electronic Systems Business at Marubun Corporation, said: “We are delighted to begin collaborating with Filtronic, a company with a long history and deep expertise in RF technology. Based on the Marubun’s long experience in the aerospace and defence markets, and fostering close cooperation between our two companies, we are confident that we will build a robust partnership and achieve further growth together.”
Commenting on the relationship, Rebecca Evernden, Director of the UK Space Agency stated: “Filtronic has proven itself to be one of the UK’s most exciting space technology companies, consistently delivering highly complex solutions with agility and excellence. This partnership demonstrates the strong alignment between Filtronic’s ambitions and the UK Government’s strategic priorities to deepen collaboration with Japan. I look forward to seeing this relationship develop and the opportunities it creates for innovation, growth and closer UK-Japan cooperation.”
Picture (from left to right): Susan Oliver – Counsellor, Defence, Security, Cyber, Space & Aerospace, Department for Business & Trade; Alun Williams – Director, Space, ADS Group; Hideki Ishida – Marubun Corporation; Chotaro Yasuda – Executive Director, Marubun Corporation; Peter Stocken – Business Development Director APAC & MEA, Filtronic; Rebecca Evernden – Director, UK Space Agency; Ciaras Wyatt – Senior Architecture and Applications Engineer, Filtronic; Harriet Loos – Head of Trade, Japan, Department for Business & Trade.