NGK hosts grand opening of NGK/NTK Venture Lab facility In Silicon Valley

July 15, 2019

NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd. hosted a grand opening for its Venture Lab, a technical exhibition and collaboration space dedicated to the creation of new business opportunities through open innovation.

Officially launched in April of 2018, the Venture Lab represents NGK’s forward-looking commitment to the co-creation and incubation of technologies with potential partners and startups. The space will serve as headquarters for the NGK/NTK Venture Lab, which has additional sites in Tokyo and Paris.

For the grand opening, representatives from startups, venture capital firms, accelerators, academics and industry were in attendance. Dr. Radenka Maric, PhD, VP for Research at the University of Connecticut, was a guest speaker. “We plan to use this space to inspire ideas for collaboration with potential partners. The Venture Lab showcases a wide range of NGK technologies, beyond just spark plugs, through a large video display and augmented reality,” stated Toru Matsui – NGK’s Global Executive Vice President. “It also includes a shared office which we will offer to our startup partners to use as their own. Our primary intention is to make strategic investments in early-stage startups, working together to bring new technologies to market.”

About NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD., headquartered in Nagoya, Japan, is a comprehensive ceramics processing manufacturer. Holding a world leading share of spark plugs and automotive sensors for internal combustion engines, NGK also offers a broad lineup of packages, cutting tools, bio ceramics and industrial ceramics. Our global network of sales and manufacturing organizations, and over 15,000 employees deliver value creation to the world. We are now contributing to a sustainable society by developing products related to the environment, energy, next generation vehicles and the medical device and diagnostic industries. With full use of the most suitable technology and our accumulated experience, we continue striving to offer new values to the people of the world.

For more information, visit http://www.ngkntk.co.jp/english/index