Swiss satellite communications company SWISSto12 has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (MELCO) to pursue satellite payload and radio frequency (RF) opportunities in Japan and the wider Asia-Pacific region.
Alongside the agreement, Mitsubishi Electric has awarded SWISSto12 a contract to supply advanced phased array antenna products for the Japanese Government’s geostationary orbit (GEO) secure communications program.
The collaboration will combine Mitsubishi Electric’s satellite system development and integration capabilities with SWISSto12’s payload and RF technologies, which use proprietary 3D printing-based design and manufacturing processes.
According to SWISSto12, these processes allow satellite communications hardware to be produced with lower size and weight while reducing manufacturing times compared with conventional approaches.
Expanding 3D printed satellite communications technology in Japan
SWISSto12 develops satellite payloads, RF products and compact geostationary satellite platforms for commercial and government customers.
Central to its payload portfolio is HummingLink, a communications payload architecture incorporating 3D printed RF components. SWISSto12 says more than 2,000 of its products are currently operating in orbit across customer missions.
Under the MoU, the two companies will explore opportunities involving advanced payloads, RF products and market development in Japan and other Asia-Pacific markets.
Mitsubishi Electric will contribute its experience developing and integrating satellite, defense and space systems, while SWISSto12 will provide its communications payload and manufacturing technologies.
“Demand in APAC is growing for innovative, advanced payloads and RF products across sovereign land, sea, air, and space applications and we are confident that together, we can scale our ability to meet it,” said Emile de Rijk, CEO of SWISSto12.
Masahiko Arai, Executive Officer and Group President of Defense & Space Systems at Mitsubishi Electric, highlighted SWISSto12’s 3D printing-based component manufacturing technology and compact geostationary satellite platform as areas with potential for the partnership.
“By combining these technologies with our expertise in the development and manufacturing of defense- and space-related systems, which we have cultivated over the years, we are confident that we can deliver unprecedented value to our customers,” said Arai.
The companies plan to pursue opportunities in both Japan and international markets.
From RF components to satellite payloads
Founded in 2011, SWISSto12 applies additive manufacturing and proprietary design techniques to satellite communications hardware.
Its products can be integrated into third-party spacecraft or used with HummingSat, the company’s compact GEO satellite platform.
SWISSto12 is currently supplying payloads for several low Earth orbit constellations and multiple HummingSat GEO programs for satellite operators.
The company reported $140 million in revenue for 2025 and says it has more than $500 million in contracted orders. SWISSto12 also claims a compound annual growth rate of 110% since 2022.
The companies have not disclosed how extensively additive manufacturing will be used in the phased array antenna products covered by the new contract. SWISSto12 describes 3D printing as a foundation of its wider payload and RF manufacturing approach.
Scaling 3D printed RF systems for sovereign communications
SWISSto12’s Mitsubishi Electric agreement follows earlier deployment of its 3D printed RF technology in operational satellite systems. In 2025, these RF antenna feed chains produced with SWISSto12 using AlSi10Mg and laser powder bed fusion had been qualified in January 2024 and launched under its GEOStar-3 commercial satellite program. Northrop said the components were already operating in orbit, demonstrating that SWISSto12’s additive manufacturing approach had progressed into flight-qualified RF hardware.
Efforts have since shifted toward expanding manufacturing capacity and more complex satellite communications systems. In January 2026, ESA member states committed €73 million to accelerate industrialization of the HummingSat platform and strengthen SWISSto12’s manufacturing infrastructure. The funding also supports phased-array antenna development for LEO, MEO and GEO satellites and ground terminals, with sovereign communications identified as a target market.
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Featured image shows Masahiko Arai, Executive Officer and Group President of Defense & Space Systems at Mitsubishi Electric, and Emile de Rijk, CEO of SWISSto12. Photo via SWISSto12.
