At Senseair, we spend a lot of time thinking about how to make better gas sensors. How can we reduce power consumption? How much smaller can a sensor become? How do we bring new research into reliable production?

Being part of Asahi Kasei Microdevices (AKM) gives us valuable knowledge and support as we work on these questions. We are fortunate to belong to a group with such strong engineering expertise, and with people who share our interest in what technology can make possible.

Our Managing Director and CEO, Toshiaki Matsumoto, knows that connection well. He began his career as an engineer at AKM, working with development and the scale-up of manufacturing before moving into management. His experience helps connect the technical work at Senseair with the decisions that shape our future.

A good match for sensor development

The technical fit is quite direct. AKM has deep expertise in semiconductor components, including LEDs, photodiodes and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). At Senseair, we work with non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) gas sensing, module development, manufacturing processes and calibration.

For us, having that component expertise within the same group is a considerable advantage. It means we can combine our understanding of gas measurement with AKM’s knowledge of the components that help make it possible. This collaboration supports our work towards smaller sensors with low power consumption and high performance.

It is a relationship that gives our engineers more to work with as they develop the next generation of Senseair sensors. We value that opportunity, and the expertise our colleagues at AKM bring to it.

Senseair also gives AKM a way to put its component technology to work in complete gas sensing modules. Our knowledge of optical measurement, calibration and manufacturing helps turn component capabilities into products for real applications. Our close contact with customers brings an understanding of what those products need to do. Together, we can connect development at component level with the demands placed on the finished sensor.

Support that helps us grow

We also benefit from experience that reaches well beyond sensor technology.

Quality management is an area where Senseair has already learned from AKM and the wider Asahi Kasei group. Their established systems and knowledge provide valuable support in quality, administration and compliance. For a company of our size, access to that experience makes a difference. It helps us strengthen the organisation around our products as we continue developing them.

There is also a shared motivation behind the engineering. AKM’s engineers are people who want to create products that have not existed before, and who care about what those products can contribute to society. That is an ambition we are glad to share.

Making the most of the connection

In Delsbo, our research, product development and manufacturing teams work alongside each other. Knowledge moves from research into product development and production, while practical experience from manufacturing feeds back to the researchers. Toshiaki sees this close collaboration as one of Senseair’s strengths.

Combining that way of working with AKM’s expertise gives us a strong foundation for continued sensor innovation. Our responsibility is to make good use of it, listening to customers and turning what we learn into products that meet their needs.

We are grateful for the knowledge and support we receive from our colleagues at AKM and across the Asahi Kasei group. Their contribution is an important part of what we can achieve at Senseair.