With its innovative flow plate technology for hydrogen fuel cells, Swedish startup Cell Impact is working to develop the Japanese market together with a local partner, fuelling the hydrogen cars of the future.
Small company, global reach
Cell Impact is a manufacturer based in Karlskoga, Sweden. It supplies its main product – flow plates for hydrogen fuel cells – worldwide, and is listed on the Nasdaq First North Growth Market.
Now it is Cell Impact’s innovative technology itself that is being exported – to Japan, where it has teamed up with a major Japanese automotive parts manufacturer. The two partners are combining their strengths to create business opportunities for flow plate production. Their first client is a major Japanese automobile producer.
Around 400 flow plates are needed in a hydrogen-powered vehicle, so Cell Impact’s technology, which forms them 100 times faster than a conventional press, significantly reduces the overall costs of these vehicles.
How the EPA helps
It is early days for the hopeful venture, but it is already clear: The EU-Japan EPA, which celebrated its 5th anniversary in 2024, provides important reassurance and support.
Cell Impact expects to benefit in multiple ways from the agreement.
First, it brings stability and predictability for the importation of machinery and materials from Sweden. One forming line has already been installed in Japan for demonstration purpose, using machinery and materials imported from Europe.
Second, the Cell Impact venture in Japan receives important services from Sweden in the form of visiting specialists and other staff, including for installation and maintenance. “We understand that this exchange of professionals benefits from the guarantees in the EPA on the presence of natural persons,” Nakagawa underlines.
The same applies to computer services, engineering, design, maintenance and other services that are being exchanged on a cross-border basis (e.g. by phone, email, online collaboration, downloads, etc.) between Cell Impact Japan and Cell Impact HQ in Sweden to ensure the venture’s success. These are, by default, protected and secured by the EPA, which through its ‘negative list’ approach to services provided cross-border makes sure that unless such services are explicitly prohibited, they are allowed.
The EPA is now a cornerstone of the EU-Japan trade and investment relationship, and as such provides general reassurance for ventures like ours. We rely on the partnership to continue and flourish.
Shigeru Nakagawa,
Managing Director,
Cell Impact Japan Inc.
The EU-Japan Data Flow Agreement
For Cell Impact Japan, as a technology-focused company, data and data exchange between the headquarters in Sweden and Cell Impact Japan are a daily necessity. “The EU-Japanese efforts to secure unhindered data flows between the EU and Japan – the recent data flow agreement – and the broader ‘digital partnership’ between the two sides are therefore very welcome,” says Nakagawa.
Key Facts: Founded: 1999 Headquarters: Karlskoga, Sweden Employees: 43