OKI establishes R&D center in Berlin to advance photonics technology
OKI has established the OKI Berlin Lab, a new R&D centre focused on photonics technology, in Berlin, Germany. The centre opened on June 1, 2025, to strengthen core capabilities and promote global deployment through open innovation.
The Berlin Lab is intended to support joint research with EU-based research institutions and companies involved in photonics and optomechatronics. OKI aims to enhance the performance of edge devices such as optical fibre sensors and compact laser vibrometers. Additionally, collaboration with EU businesses involved in photonics clusters and optomechatronics will promote technological complementation, which will then allow OKI to gain a technological edge through real-world deployment in areas like infrastructure, manufacturing, and healthcare.
The centre, located in an incubation facility in Berlin, will host researchers engaged in joint research with external research organisations and technology marketers. The company plans to validate its technologies in Europe before expanding their use to the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. The centre is also to have a showroom for showcasing OKI’s technologies, providing visitors with the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the technologies involved.
The new centre follows OKI’s establishment of a technology base in Silicon Valley in 2024, also aligned with its Edge Platform concept introduced in 2023, which targets the rapid resolution of emerging societal challenges through advanced technologies.
“OKI Berlin Lab can enable OKI to strengthen core technologies through joint research with leading research organisations and photonics clusters in the EU.” says Yoichi Kato, Senior Vice President, Chief Technology Officer, and Head of Technology Division, in a press release.
