Sep 10, 2020 ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation
Tokyo, September 10, 2020 - NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701), OBAYASHI CORPORATION, Japan Industrial Partners, Inc., Japan Investment Adviser Co., Ltd. ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation and IPC Fund 1, operated by UTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd., today announced the establishment of BIRD INITIATIVE, Inc. (BIRD), a new company that will create new businesses from collaborative R&D among businesses, financial companies and academia, and will begin operations in October.
In recent years, the importance of research and development for speeding up problem solving has been increasing as the issues facing society and organizations have become more and more complex with the advance of digitalization and the acceleration of social change. Under such circumstances, BIRD, representing a combination of Business Innovation powered by R&D, aims to promote a new research and development framework called "Co-creative R&D" in which issues and technologies are brought together from industry, government and academia.
At the start of a project, BIRD uses advanced AI technologies (Intelligent Simulation and Automation) obtained through the AI research collaboration between the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology and the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research and NEC to clarify any issues that customers experience in relation to applied research and development. In addition, BIRD provides consulting services to help clients solve the challenges they have identified, and to prototype development services to prepare a research and development environment for testing.
Through these services, BIRD establishes a research theme, forms a research team, conducts research and development, and prepares for commercialization, in order to achieve the fastest possible solution for an issue and to create a new business.
BIRD’s leading-edge AI technology: Intelligent Simulation and Automation
1. Combining Simulation and Machine Learning
2. Combining Simulation and Automated Negotiation
Unlike centralized control or mere matching technologies, AI systems independently negotiate agreeable terms and conditions with each other to coordinate detailed behavior and interests between systems that are working with different objectives.
The technologies handled by BIRD will initially be core technologies obtained through research collaboration, and will be gradually increased in conjunction with businesses, financial companies, academic investors and alliance partners. BIRD aims to create 6 new businesses by 2025 through carve-outs.
"I'm very pleased to see that we have established a mechanism to translate our research of the NEC-AIST AI Cooperative Laboratory into societal impact." said TSUJII Jun-ichi, Director, Artificial Intelligence Research Center, Fellow National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology.
"Simulation, machine learning, and automatic negotiation are areas where collaboration between industry, government, and academia can be very effective, and I expect that the process from technological development to social implementation of AI can be greatly accelerated," said SUGIYAMA Masashi, Director, RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project (AIP).
About NEC Corporation
NEC Corporation has established itself as a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies while promoting the brand statement of "Orchestrating a brighter world." NEC enables businesses and communities to adapt to rapid changes taking place in both society and the market as it provides for the social values of safety, security, fairness and efficiency to promote a more sustainable world where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential. For more information, visit NEC at http://www.nec.com.
About OBAYASHI CORPORATION
About Japan Industrial Partners, Inc.
JIP's main philosophy in investing in Japanese companies is to realize continuous growth of the business by bringing better products and services to the users and customers and by creating a productive and rewarding work place for its employees.
About Japan Investment Adviser Co., Ltd.(JIA)
About ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation
About UTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd.
It invests in more than 20 university-driven tech startups across all stages, via mutually complementing IPC Fund 1 and AOI Fund 1. Beside investments, the team members passionately support entrepreneurs in various aspects.
Contact Information
ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation, Corporate Communications Dept.
E-mail:press@ctc-g.co.jp
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