Together with the Technohorizon Corporation, faytech is supplying the Japanese disaster control authorities with video conferencing tables. They were honored with the Japan Resilience Award. In this interview, Kenji Menguro, who is responsible for the touch solutions of our product pillar faytech in Japan, talks about the important success and how he would like to position faytech in the land of the rising sun.

Meguro San, you and your team were recently rewarded for your joint efforts. What are the details?

This is a project that I am particularly proud of. One of our customers is Technohorizon Corporation, a leading company in Japanese disaster prevention. We supply robust 65″ OB monitors that we have adapted for emergency meeting rooms. The ELMO DX Tables are used to connect police and fire departments, evacuation and supply centers and the disaster control center. The tables used to be called V-Cube Boards.

On the large touchscreen of the tables, the emergency services involved can always see up-to-date map information and damage reports at the same time. Important facts in images, videos and electronic reports can be marked and written notes added for better understanding. As there are usually several people working at the board, faytech has modified the touchscreen so that up to 40 simultaneous operating gestures are possible.

We received the Japan Resilience Award for our solution. This is an award that honours organizations and initiatives that make a significant contribution to increasing Japan's resilience - in other words, the ability to prevent disasters, organize aid in an emergency and build sustainable structures. The project shows how we adapt global technology to local Japanese requirements.

You have been on board since 2023. Please tell us about your professional background. What made you decide to join faytech?

I have many years of experience in business development and corporate planning at large global companies in the automotive and consumer goods industries. In Japan, more than anywhere else, business customers expect customized solutions that are precisely tailored to their use case. faytech specializes in such solutions and has a high degree of flexibility when it comes to implementing customer requirements in detail.

My strength lies in developing a comprehensive understanding of the customer's needs in direct discussions and deriving the right solution from this. At faytech, I can apply this expertise much better than at corporations, which are often less agile when it comes to special requirements.

What is your strategic vision for the next few years?

My goal is to establish faytech in Japan as a provider of reliable, customizable and durable touchscreen solutions. We want to build strategic partnerships with industry leaders to expand our reach - especially with system integrators and solution providers. This will enable us to expand into new fields such as mechanical engineering and automation.

On the product side, we are preparing to launch next-generation HMI touch solutions that are specially developed for industry and logistics. In the medium term, we want to increasingly contribute our expertise to smart factory and transportation projects - I see great potential here in Japan.

Is faytech equipped for this journey?

One of the biggest challenges in Japan is the extremely high expectations of product quality. Precision, reliability and a long service life are valued even more highly here than in other markets. These are precisely faytech's strengths.

Although the decision-making process in Japan often takes longer due to very thorough assessments, once trust has been gained, strong, long-term partnerships are formed.

What are the particular challenges you face in Japan? And how do they differ from other regions you have worked in?

Culturally, trust and consistency are crucial in Japan. Relationships count just as much as technology. Customers therefore expect not only excellent products, but also first-class service - with a speed of response that is far above the level of other regions.

It takes years to build trust through open and fair business, but it can be lost very quickly through careless action. That's why my first priority was to strengthen relationships with customers and partners and ensure that they feel supported locally and benefit from faytech's global expertise.

This means investing in local support structures, expanding industry-specific knowledge and aligning quality assurance strictly with Japanese standards and certifications. My aim is for customers to perceive us as the touchscreen solution provider in Japan.

How does faytech stay ahead in the rapid development of touchscreen technologies? Is there a special focus on the Japanese market?

We work closely with our global R&D teams and continuously gather feedback from Japanese customers. Our approach is not to compete directly with the really big players, but to serve niche markets in which we can score points with customized solutions. Examples include high-brightness outdoor displays, advanced optical bonding for durability, improved touch sensitivity when operating screens with gloves, high temperature tolerance and IP-certified protection against dust and water.

Which industries in Japan are currently showing the strongest growth or interest in faytech products? Are there any surprising areas of application?

Driven by digitalization , the market for signage monitors is growing at a CAGR of around 15%. A particularly dynamic field is industrial automation and intelligent manufacturing, where HMI solutions are in high demand. Trade and retail are also increasingly relying on durable, high-resolution touchscreens. Another new trend is the growing demand in the transportation and logistics sector - especially for robust touch displays that can be read in sunlight.

How does faytech ensure that its products meet the high Japanese requirements for environmental standards and durability?

Our products are designed from the ground up to last. They are made from robust materials, undergo rigorous testing and comply with local environmental regulations.

How would you summarize faytech's core promise to Japanese customers? Why should they choose faytech?

faytech combines German innovation, Chinese technical know-how and Japanese support. We offer touchscreen solutions that are reliable, flexible and long-lasting. Companies in Japan should choose us because we not only deliver powerful technology, but also the trust, responsiveness and consistency that they value most.