As part of the trip, our team visited the Kobe facility of the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT). The site is home to the Advanced ICT Research Institute, which aims to create new paradigms at the ICT frontier by integrating diverse research fields.

During the visit, we had the opportunity to observe real-world demonstrations of multi-core fiber (MCF) technologies, including the world’s first implementation of a 4-core standard outer diameter MCF unit transmitting uncompressed 8K video. This system, developed by NICT in collaboration with Fujikura and Astrodesign, illustrates how advanced optical technologies are being applied in practical, real-world settings.

The visit offered valuable perspective for VAFC Global as we continue shaping our approach to bringing next-generation fiber technologies into practical deployment.

We also attended EXAT 2025 (Extremely Advanced Transmission Technologies), an international symposium held in Himeji, Japan. This year’s discussions focused on 3M innovations: multi-core, multi-mode, and multi-level modulation, key themes driving the future of high-capacity optical networks. The symposium featured leading research institutions and speakers sharing progress on spatial-division multiplexing (SDM) and scalable fiber infrastructure. It also offered valuable opportunities for VAFC Global to engage directly with the global innovation community and stay aligned with the forefront of optical communications.

The trip concluded with a visit to SPring-8, one of the world’s most advanced synchrotron radiation facilities. Observing applications at the intersection of materials science and photonics provided additional context for VAFC Global’s ongoing work in fiber-based technology and infrastructure readiness.

This journey marks an important step in VAFC Global’s continued commitment to bridging global innovation with real-world application, and laying the foundation for next-generation fiber infrastructure.