Daisuke Okanohara, Co-Founder and CEO of PFN and Eisaku Ito, President and CEO of MHI

TOKYO, June 3, 2026 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) and Preferred Networks, Inc. (PFN) have entered into a business alliance agreement to jointly develop cutting-edge AI technologies to enhance the intelligence and autonomy of mission-critical machinery and systems, primarily in the social infrastructure and national security sectors in Japan.

In today's social infrastructure and national security fields, which underpin safe and secure living, there is an increasing demand for rapid responses to complex and constantly evolving challenges. To maintain and improve the safety and resilience of machinery and systems operated by customers in these mission-critical domains, it is essential to implement advanced AI technologies that enable autonomous, sophisticated situational assessment and response capabilities.

MHI has long been a leader in Japan's social infrastructure as well as the aerospace, defense, and space sectors. The company possesses advanced hardware design and system integration expertise, along with extensive product knowledge cultivated through its global business foundation. MHI has also accumulated comprehensive capabilities in machinery and system design, development, control, and simulation technologies. Under its management policy, "Innovative Total Optimization (ITO)," MHI is committed to "Group-Wide Optimization" and "Reach Expansion," delivering unprecedented value to a vastly larger customer base through corporate collaboration and IT utilization.

PFN has delivered vertically integrated expertise across the AI value chain, spanning advanced AI models, supercomputing infrastructure, proprietary AI chips, as well as products and solutions. Since its founding in 2014, PFN has built a proven track record of real-world deployments for its clients and partners across a diverse range of industries.

MHI and PFN formed this alliance to establish a long-term collaborative framework that unites their respective strengths. Both companies recognize that this synergy is essential to rapidly deploy complex innovations in mission-critical intelligence and autonomy, ultimately maintaining and advancing a safe, secure society.

Through this alliance, the two companies will explore the joint development of autonomous AI-powered machinery and systems for mission-critical applications that demand high reliability and rapid responsiveness. This initiative will combine MHI's advanced hardware, control, and simulation technologies with PFN's homegrown AI foundation models, AI chips, and computing infrastructure. By embedding these AI technologies into MHI's product and systems portfolio, the alliance aims to drive intelligent and autonomous operations, advanced predictive maintenance, and rapid crisis management. Through this collaboration, the companies seek to provide a resilient, secure, and safe social infrastructure that protects society and clients' businesses from unforeseen risks.

Based on the progress of this business alliance, the companies aim to conclude a capital and business alliance agreement within fiscal 2026. By establishing a stronger cooperative foundation, including capital ties, the two companies intend to accelerate mid- to long-term R&D investments and commercialization efforts.

Going forward, both companies will continue to maximize their respective strengths and contribute to building sustainable, secure, and safe social infrastructure through innovation driven by AI technologies.

About Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group is one of the world's leading industrial groups, spanning energy, smart infrastructure, industrial machinery, aerospace and defense.MHI Group combines cutting-edge technology with deep experience to deliver innovative, integrated solutions that help to realize a carbon neutral world, improve the quality of life and ensure a safer world.For more information, please visit www.mhi.com or follow our insights and stories on spectra.mhi.com.

About Preferred Networks

Guided by its mission to "Make the real world computable and create the future together," Preferred Networks, Inc. (PFN) develops advanced software and hardware technologies through a vertically integrated approach spanning the entire AI value chain—from AI chips and computing infrastructure to generative AI foundation models and solutions across a wide range of industries. Founded in 2014 in Tokyo, PFN currently develops and delivers the MN-Core™ series of AI processors, the PFCP™ cloud platform for AI computing, and the Japan-developed generative AI foundation model PLaMo™.https://www.preferred.jp/en/

About MHI Group

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group is one of the world’s leading industrial groups, spanning energy, smart infrastructure, industrial machinery, aerospace and defense. MHI Group combines cutting-edge technology with deep experience to deliver innovative, integrated solutions that help to realize a carbon neutral world, improve the quality of life and ensure a safer world. For more information, please visit www.mhi.com or follow our insights and stories on spectra.mhi.com.

KAWASAKI, Japan, May 26, 2026 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu today announced that its invention for improving the performance of scientific and technical computing has been awarded the prestigious Prime Minister's Prize at the 2026 National Commendation for Invention, presented by the Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation (JIII) [1] on May 26, 2026.

The award-winning invention, developed by Fujitsu in 2009, enables high-speed and high-precision scientific computing. The technology has made a significant contribution to the industry worldwide through its utilization in the K computer and the supercomputer Fugaku, jointly developed with RIKEN and Fujitsu, as well as in Arm®-based server products.

Overview

1. Award recipients [2] :
The Prime Minister’s Prize: Mikio Hondou, Fujitsu Limited
The Distinguished Service Prize for Employment of Invention [3] : Takahito Tokita, CEO, Fujitsu Limited
2. Invention title:
Invention of performance improvement of processing unit for scientific and technical calculations [4]
3. About the award-winning invention:
(1) Features of the invention
This award-winning invention enables the high-speed processing of mathematical functions crucial for scientific computing (Figure 1). It successfully reduced the number of instructions required for preprocessing the Taylor series expansion [5] to 1/3 (Figure 2) by defining special instructions that can be sped up while minimizing the increase in circuit scale. As a result, both the speed of calculation processing and the accuracy of calculation are maintained.
(2) Industrial applications
This invention enables faster and more accurate execution of supercomputer operations including structural analysis, collision analysis, and fluid analysis simulations for automobiles and aircraft, as well as simulations of global environmental predictions, earthquakes, and tsunamis. This contributes to industrial development and the creation of a safer society.
This technology was implemented in the K computer and Fugaku, and is now a standard feature [6] in the instruction set architecture designed and licensed by Arm, a leading compute platform company. Its inclusion in Arm-based server products used by hyperscalers has generated significant international impact. This technology is also incorporated into "FUJITSU-MONAKA", Fujitsu's next-generation processor for data centers, targeted for launch in 2027.
Furthermore, this technology is slated for integration into a new CPU tentatively named "FUJITSU-MONAKA-X", which will power the new flagship system, codenamed "FugakuNEXT" - the successor to Fugaku - currently under development by Fujitsu in collaboration with RIKEN and other organizations.

Figure 1: Hardware architecture (Red: invented features)

Figure 2: Result of instruction reduction

[1] Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation (JIII) :
Located in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Chairman: Toshiaki Higashihara
[2] Award recipients :
Affiliations reflect those at the time of application.
[3] The Distinguished Service Prize for Employment of Invention
A prize for the representative of a company or organization that supported the completion of a highly advanced invention.
[4] Invention of performance improvement of processing unit for scientific and technical calculations :
Patent No. 5304483, filed in 2009 and registered in 2013.
[5] Taylor series expansion :
A calculation method for calculating trigonometric functions such as sin and cos, and exponential and logarithmic functions such as exp and log.
[6] Standard feature :
Initially adopted in the Armv8 SIMD extension specification SVE, and subsequently adopted as a standard in the latest Armv9 SVE/SVE2.

Fujitsu’s Commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015 represent a set of common goals to be achieved worldwide by 2030.

Fujitsu’s purpose - “to make the world more sustainable by building trust in society through innovation” - is a promise to contribute to the vision of a better future empowered by the SDGs.

About Fujitsu

Fujitsu’s purpose is to make the world more sustainable by building trust in society through innovation. As the digital transformation partner of choice for customers around the globe, our 100,000 employees work to resolve some of the greatest challenges facing humanity. Our range of services and solutions draw on five key technologies: AI, Computing, Networks, Data & Security, and Converging Technologies, which we bring together to deliver sustainability transformation. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.5 trillion yen (US$23 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026 and remains the top digital services company in Japan by market share. Find out more: global.fujitsu

Press Contacts

Fujitsu Limited
Public, Investor and Analyst Relations Division
Inquiries

Tokyo and Kawasaki, Japan, May 19, 2026 - (JCN Newswire) - Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (SMBC Group), Fujitsu Limited (Fujitsu), and SoftBank Corp. (SoftBank) today announced they entered into a basic agreement regarding a business alliance (the Alliance) in the health and medical fields with the objective of ensuring the continued sustainability of Japan’s healthcare system, which is based on universal health insurance. The agreement, concluded on May 18, will see the three companies build a Japan-developed healthcare platform aimed at achieving sustainable healthcare, contributing to the extension of healthy life expectancy of citizens, optimizing the management of healthcare institutions, and curbing national healthcare costs.

Under the Alliance, the companies will establish a data platform that enables the secure and appropriate management and utilization of medical data held within healthcare information systems, based on individual consent. In addition, by combining this medical data with personal health data that is controlled by individuals themselves—also linked and managed based on individual consent—they will develop app-based AI agents that act as personalized health partners tailored to each individual.

The data platform and related apps will be built within Japan-based data centers as Japan-developed healthcare infrastructure. Through this initiative, the companies aim to realize a secure and integrated framework that supports the entire patient journey—from daily health management to medical consultations, ongoing treatment, and post-treatment follow-up. Ultimately, this will enhance support for improving individual health outcomes, promoting behavioral change, and enabling more advanced assessments of disease risks.

Furthermore, through this Alliance, the companies will create new businesses that contribute to streamlining costs caused by duplicate testing and prescriptions, disease aggravation due to interrupted treatment, and the progression of preventable illnesses and frailty. By promoting the optimization of healthcare delivery, they aim to help curb future healthcare cost increases on the scale of approximately 5 trillion yen, thereby contributing to the achievement of sustainable healthcare.

Background

In Japan, the population aged 65 and older has already reached approximately 30% of the total population, and medical and long-term care needs are expected to continue rising as the population ages further. As a result, the roles required of healthcare providers are becoming increasingly advanced and complex, including emergency care, home-based care, and the ongoing management of chronic conditions. To ensure that all can continue to access appropriate medical care when needed, both now and in the future, it is essential to extend healthy life expectancy through health promotion and preventive measures, while also establishing systems that enable the more effective use of limited healthcare resources. To realize such a framework, it is effective to continuously capture health information, including data from daily life, and leverage it to help prevent the progression of diseases and other conditions. This requires the effective integration of medical data, personal health data, and AI.

However, at present, medical data standardization remains a work in progress, and personal health data is fragmented across different services, limiting the ability to effectively link medical and health data. Additionally, as the use of AI infrastructure located outside Japan expands, concerns have been raised regarding the handling of highly sensitive health and medical data. These issues are important from the perspectives of Japan’s data sovereignty and economic security.

To address these challenges, it is essential to promote the standardization and interoperability of medical data at scale while establishing an environment in which various services handling personal health data can interconnect. Such an environment must enable the secure and appropriate utilization of data, with data sovereignty duly ensured.

Initiatives Under the Alliance

The three companies will develop a data platform for the safe and appropriate management and utilization of medical data, along with a user app for individuals to effectively manage and utilize their health data, thereby building a domestically developed healthcare foundation.

Within the data platform, data will be linked and referenced as necessary based on individual consent and in compliance with relevant laws and guidelines. Standardization and structuring of data will be promoted to enable interoperability with healthcare providers and private sector entities. This will support advanced data utilization for advanced clinical practice, innovative research and development, and operational improvements in healthcare institutions, as well as the delivery of healthcare services leveraging AI and data. Furthermore, with an eye towards future integration with public infrastructure such as the Nationwide Healthcare Information Platform and My Number Portal, the companies aim to establish an expandable framework aligned with the government’s healthcare digital transformation (DX) policies.

In addition, by providing user app-based AI agents that support everything from daily health management to medical consultations and ongoing care, the companies will offer comprehensive support for individual health. The medical and health data required for this support will be obtained with individual consent within the user app and utilized within the scope of that consent. Furthermore, through collaboration with healthcare providers and local governments, they aim to create an environment where diverse services can be accessed through a single application.

Through these initiatives, the companies will promote the development of a secure environment in which data can be used with confidence, while striving to balance improved healthcare quality and access with the streamlining of healthcare costs. They will also explore the creation of new healthcare services integrated with areas such as general life, public services, and payments, and support employee well-being through proactive corporate health management initiatives.

Roles of Each Company

SMBC Group will be responsible for promoting widespread adoption of services based on this Alliance and enhancing value through the integration of healthcare and financial services. For the former, it will leverage digital touchpoints such as “Olive.” The Group has already begun offering “Olive Healthcare” based on its partnership with SoftBank in March 2026 and will further expand and develop this service. For the latter, in addition to promoting post-payment services at medical institutions, it aims to create services that provide both financial and health-related security and peace of mind.

Fujitsu will lead the development and management of the data platform, the creation of AI for healthcare institutions, and the development of next-generation computing resources and platforms necessary for innovative drug discovery and development activities using medical data. Fujitsu will leverage its top market share in medical data in Japan[ＨＬ1.1], as well as its healthcare-focused large language models from the “Takane” LLM lineup, its “Healthy Living Platform” for healthcare data utilization under the “Uvance” business model to solve societal issues, and its expertise in data governance, security, and sovereign cloud technologies that ensure data sovereignty.

SoftBank will lead the development and provision of domestically operated user apps leveraging sovereign cloud infrastructure and homegrown LLMs. It will utilize its extensive user base, including the “PayPay” ecosystem, “LINE,” and “Yahoo! JAPAN,” as well as its expertise in supporting health promotion for individuals, businesses, and municipalities in the healthcare sector. Through collaboration with healthcare providers and local governments, it aims to build highly convenient apps that enable users to access a wide range of services in one place.

SMBC Group, Fujitsu, and SoftBank will leverage their respective customer touchpoints to expand the use of the Japan-developed healthcare infrastructure to a scale of 60 million users, while aiming for adoption by 4,000 medical institutions. Through these efforts, the three companies will support the health of the population, assist the management of healthcare institutions, and contribute to the appropriate curbing of Japan’s healthcare costs. In doing so, they aim to further enhance the sustainability of Japan’s high-quality and widely accessible healthcare system.

[1] LLM Takane:
A large language model jointly developed by Fujitsu and Cohere Inc.

Press Conference Materials

Held on May 18, 2026
Presentation Materials: Fujitsu Limited

About SMBC Group

SMBC Group is a top-tier global financial group. Headquartered in Tokyo and with a 400-year history, SMBC Group offers a diverse range of financial services, including banking, leasing, securities, credit cards, and consumer finance. The Group has more than 150 offices and 120,000 employees worldwide in nearly 40 countries. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (SMFG) is the holding company of SMBC Group, which is one of the three largest banking groups in Japan. SMFG’s shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and ADRs on the New York (NYSE: SMFG) stock exchanges.

About Fujitsu

Fujitsu’s purpose is to make the world more sustainable by building trust in society through innovation. As the digital transformation partner of choice for customers around the globe, our 100,000 employees work to resolve some of the greatest challenges facing humanity. Our range of services and solutions draw on five key technologies: AI, Computing, Networks, Data & Security, and Converging Technologies, which we bring together to deliver sustainability transformation. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.5 trillion yen (US$23 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026 and remains the top digital services company in Japan by market share. Find out more: global.fujitsu

About SoftBank Corp.

Guided by the SoftBank Group’s corporate philosophy, “Information Revolution – Happiness for everyone,” SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) operates telecommunications and IT businesses in Japan and globally. Building on its strong business foundation, SoftBank Corp. is aiming to activate the potential of AI across its businesses and drive implementation in line with its “Activate AI for Society” growth strategy. While further growing its telecom business, SoftBank is expanding its AI computing infrastructure and AI and Cloud service businesses with the aim of becoming a provider of Next-generation Social Infrastructure. To learn more, please visit https://www.softbank.jp/en/corp/

Press Contacts

Fujitsu Limited
Public, Investor and Analyst Relations Division
Inquiries