NTT and MHI Conclude Tie-up Agreement in R&D Integrating Social Infrastructure and ICT

1. Tie-up background and aims

Under its Medium-Term Management Strategy (“Towards the Next Stage”) NTT today is seeking to provide new value, as a “valued partner” that customers continue to select, through collaboration with partners by ICT capabilities. In R&D activities, NTT is pursuing initiatives in “co-innovation” through collaboration with diverse partners

In January of this year MHI newly established an “ICT Solution Headquarters” to oversee companywide ICT operations. In doing so MHI aims to seek new and expanded business in ICT solutions. At the same time, MHI will pursue to enhance the competitive strength of its products and accelerate product development through integration of ICT (communication network technologies, information processing technologies, etc.), leveraging strategic alliance, etc.

Through the newly concluded tie-up, NTT’s R&D results will be applied to MHI’s diverse social infrastructure products and at its production sites, enabling the swift realization of new value creation through the integration of social infrastructure and ICT.

2. Tie-up overview

Going forward, NTT and MHI will pursue joint development, joint testing and other activities, selecting from specific potential themes below.

(1) Optical fiber & sensors
Potential application will be considered of NTT’s optical fiber, laser, and radio wave and biomedical signals measurement technologies to production sites and maintenance operations of MHI’s product.

(2) Big data
Potential applications will be considered of NTT’s big data processing and analysis technologies to big data on the operating status of MHI’s products, customer comments phoned into the company’s call centers, etc.

(3) AR & media processing
Potential applications of NTT’s technologies in augmented reality (AR) and media processing (video, voice, etc.) will be probed to enhance communication between supporting staff and workers who are located remotely and to boost efficiency at its factories in Japan and other countries, as well as local construction sites.