Luca Celiento (Maana Electric’s COO) meeting the Luxembourgish ambassador in Japan in the frame of a JETRO mission

Tokyo, January 30th 2024

Maana Electric was invited to participate in the JETRO Business Mission to Japan, held from 23 to 25 January 2024, as part of a dedicated exchange programme designed to connect innovative Luxembourg technology and space companies with Japanese industry, startups, and research institutions. The mission, organised by JETRO, aimed to foster international collaboration and explore long-term business and technology development opportunities in the space and clean energy sectors.

Maana Electric was represented by Luca Celiento, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, who joined a delegation of Luxembourg-based companies across space, energy, and advanced technologies. Throughout the mission, Maana Electric presented its ISRU technologies for green silicon and silicon solar cells, engaging with Japanese stakeholders on topics ranging from clean energy manufacturing to space resource utilisation.

The programme took place across Tokyo and Tsukuba, two key hubs of innovation in Japan. In Tokyo, the delegation visited the Luxembourg Embassy in Tokyo, where participants met Pierre Ferring, Ambassador of Luxembourg to Japan. The Tokyo programme also included a pitching and networking event at CIC Tokyo, during which Maana Electric presented its technologies to a selected audience of Japanese companies, investors, and innovation actors.

The mission continued in Tsukuba City, widely recognised as Japan’s leading science and research cluster. There, the delegation visited Tsukuba Center Inc., an organisation supporting technology transfer and business incubation between research institutions and industry. Further engagements included meetings with local startups, a visit to the National Institute for Materials Science, and exchanges with JAXA, providing valuable insights into Japan’s space research landscape and advanced materials capabilities. The programme concluded with networking activities at Tsukuba Startup Park, enabling direct discussions on future collaboration pathways.