Ito Group has multiple regional locations across the globe and is proud to offer comprehensive global support. With 17 locations worldwide, their widespread presence enables the company to stay close to partners, understand their unique needs, and provide timely, tailored solutions wherever they operate.
Ito Europe is one of these key regional locations, playing an essential role in delivering engineering, service, and sales excellence as part of the Group’s continued global expansion.
Interview with Jeroen Grooten, General Manager at Ito Europe.
A brief description of the company and its activities.
Jeroen Grooten: Ito Europe, a key subsidiary of the Ito Group, is a multinational engineering, service, and sales company dedicated to advancing precision assembly and manufacturing solutions.
Our expertise lies in understanding how technology can be effectively applied in real-world production environments — this is where we create tangible value for our partners. By providing cutting-edge equipment, process know-how, and ongoing maintenance, we support customers across Europe and Africa in strengthening their manufacturing capabilities.
The Ito Group itself has a long and distinguished history. Founded in Japan in 1946, the company has grown into a global player and, since 2015, has been headquartered in Singapore. With 17 offices worldwide, Ito combines a strong international footprint with deep local expertise. Ito Europe plays an important role within this network, serving as a bridge between global innovation and regional market needs.
Beyond representing leading technology partners, Ito also develops and delivers its own line of branded equipment, ensuring customers receive solutions that are both innovative and tailored to industry demands. This combination of trusted partnerships, proprietary technologies, and service-driven expertise enables Ito to consistently provide value, reliability, and growth opportunities to our clients.
What are the main areas of activity of the company?
J.G: At Ito Europe, our activities span three core pillars: engineering, services, and sales. Each area is closely connected, ensuring that our customers not only receive world-class equipment but also the expertise and long-term support needed to maximize its value.
Through our engineering capabilities, we focus on solving complex manufacturing challenges with cutting-edge technology. Every solution is tailored to customer needs, whether that means designing a custom process, integrating advanced platforms, or optimizing existing production lines.
Our services go far beyond maintenance. We provide process optimization, root cause analysis, and preventive improvements — helping manufacturers reduce downtime, minimize defects, and continuously improve performance. This lifecycle support ensures that clients gain lasting value from their investments.
Finally, our sales operations bring Ito’s innovative product lines and technologies into the European market, always in close alignment with our engineering and service teams. By combining technical know-how with strong customer relationships, we provide not just products, but full solutions.
The technologies we specialize in highlight our versatility: anisotropic conductive adhesive (ACA) bonding, atmospheric plasma cleaning, flexible printed circuits, optical bonding, and advanced automation platforms such as Maglev and V-Star. Together, these offerings form a comprehensive portfolio that enables precision, flexibility, and scalability across industries like electronics, automotive, healthcare, and beyond.
What’s the news about new products/services?
J.G: One of the most exciting developments at Ito Europe is the launch of our Maglev Platform — a high-speed, high-precision automation platform designed with the flexibility that modern manufacturing demands. This system is a game-changer for industries seeking compact, scalable, and modular automation with uncompromising accuracy.
At its core is the iTS Transport System, which delivers speeds of up to 5 m/s and precision levels reaching ±5μm. What makes it remarkable is its versatility: it can function as a high-speed transport system, or seamlessly switch to operate as an X-axis or Y-axis depending on process needs — a feature already demonstrated in our welding and dispensing modules.
The platform also offers flexible integration. It can be combined with Gantry and SCARA systems, supporting everything from cost-effective pick-and-place setups to ultra-precision applications (±5μm @ 3σ). This makes it adaptable across a wide spectrum of industries and production environments.
Beyond motion control, the multi-process capability of the Maglev Platform allows it to handle bonding, welding, dispensing, high-precision screw fastening, and more. Its modular design ensures that customers can scale their systems in line with growing production needs, without compromising on footprint or precision.
In short, the Maglev Platform isn’t just another piece of equipment — it’s a future-proof automation solution that combines speed, precision, and adaptability to meet the evolving challenges of advanced manufacturing.
What are the ranges of products/services?
J.G: At Ito Europe, our solutions are designed to help manufacturers build small, precise components with exceptional speed and accuracy. Whether serving the automotive, healthcare, electronics, or industrial sectors, our mission is to enhance production by reducing delays, improving quality, and streamlining assembly processes. Because manufacturing never stands still, our portfolio is built for flexibility — evolving alongside the fast-changing demands of modern industry.
On the product side, our technologies cover a wide spectrum. We deliver advanced automation platforms, such as the Maglev and V-Star systems, which enable frictionless, high-speed, and highly accurate motion. Our bonding technologies, including anisotropic conductive adhesive bonding, ensure robust connections for delicate components, while plasma cleaning systems prepare surfaces at the highest level of cleanliness. We also provide flexible printed circuits and optical bonding solutions, enabling next-generation designs that combine reliability with innovation.
But our role does not end with equipment. We complement our technologies with comprehensive services — from equipment maintenance and servicing to process optimization, defect reduction, and in-depth root cause analysis. Our engineering consulting ensures that every solution is tailored to a client’s specific needs, whether it involves customization, 2D/3D design, or software and control capabilities such as PLC and MES integration.
In essence, our range is not just a catalogue of machines; it is a full ecosystem of equipment, expertise, and support. We provide the tools, the knowledge, and the partnership that enable manufacturers to not only meet today’s challenges but also stay prepared for tomorrow’s opportunities.
What is the state of the market where you are currently active?
J.G: The market in which Ito Europe operates can best be described as mature, yet full of opportunity. Precision assembly and electronics manufacturing in Europe already have a strong foundation, but the focus is shifting rapidly toward greater precision, efficiency, and automation. Customers are no longer satisfied with stand-alone machines; they are demanding fully integrated solutions that combine equipment, processes, and optimization services into a single, reliable package.
Industries such as automotive, electronics, and medical devices continue to fuel demand, particularly as they push the boundaries of miniaturization, performance, and reliability. At the same time, the ongoing transition toward Industry 4.0 is reshaping expectations. Manufacturers want smarter, more flexible systems that can adapt to changing requirements instead of static, one-size-fits-all equipment.
This means the market is evolving on two fronts: on one hand, there is a strong need to upgrade existing installations to meet modern standards, and on the other, new capacity is being directed toward advanced systems that can support the future of digital, connected manufacturing. For Ito Europe, this creates a space where innovation, adaptability, and comprehensive service offerings become key drivers of success.
What can you tell us about market trends?
J.G: The market is shifting toward greater flexibility and integration. Companies are looking for modular systems that can adapt to changing needs, while also demanding technologies like our Maglev Platform, which delivers frictionless, precise, and low-maintenance motion. At the same time, customers want to streamline production by combining bonding, cleaning, and optical processes into unified lines that improve efficiency and reduce defects.
Digitalization is also reshaping the industry, with advanced software, PLCs, and MES enabling smarter automation and real-time control. Alongside this, there’s a growing appetite for tailored solutions rather than off-the-shelf systems, and for lifecycle support — including maintenance, retrofits, and process optimization — as essential parts of long-term value.
Overall, the trend is clear: the industry is moving beyond equipment alone, toward holistic, adaptable, and service-driven solutions.
What are the most innovative products/services marketed?
J.G: One of the most innovative solutions we currently market is the Maglev Platform, which applies magnetic levitation technology to achieve frictionless, high-speed, and highly precise motion in automation lines. This breakthrough significantly reduces wear and maintenance requirements while enabling greater efficiency and reliability in production environments.
In addition, we are pushing innovation through the integration of multiple technologies into unified systems. By combining bonding, plasma cleaning, optical bonding, and automation platforms, we are moving toward comprehensive, multi-technology solutions that deliver higher value to our customers than stand-alone equipment could provide.
Equally important is our focus on advanced engineering and services. We go beyond supplying equipment by offering root cause analysis, process optimization, and lifecycle support — including maintenance, retrofitting, and continuous improvement. This approach reflects a deliberate shift from purely hardware-based offerings to a holistic “equipment + process + service” model, ensuring customers benefit from sustained performance and long-term partnership.
What estimations do you have for the second half of 2025?
J.G: We see strong prospects as we are focusing much on Business development: so there will be Expansion of networks and partnerships through exhibitions, trade shows, and client visits; deeper engagement in market analysis and local representation opportunities, especially in Africa and emerging European regions, to position Ito for mid- to long-term growth.
We recently launched our new website and stepped up our digital media activity, creating stronger visibility and engagement. This enhanced presence is expected to drive new client conversions by increasing enquiries and strengthening relationships within the industrial, commercial, and utility sectors, with particularly promising opportunities in emerging European and Eastern European markets.
