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Creating What's Ahead

NEC GROUP 125YEARS
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One small step
today,
the rest of
the world,
tomorrow.

NEC GROUP does so much more than manufacturing and sales.
What we create contributes directly to people's lives and society.
The work NEC GROUP is doing will lead to a future unimaginable.

In making connections or forging new paths ahead – every story begins with our creation.

The history of NEC GROUP is the history of those who create.
We create 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.

CREATING
THE VALUE

CEO Photo Photo : Yu Kaida

The NEC Group has been providing value to society with advanced technologies for 125 years. Founded in 1899, NEC played in important role in the development of modern Japan through communications technology.

In the late 1970s, NEC pioneered a new era by harnessing the power of information and communications technologies (ICT) to drive new advancements for society.

Now, as we embark on another new era, we are helping to transform the business world and society through digital transformation (DX).

The NEC Group is an organization that continually evolves, creating and delivering new value for the changing times.

NEC’s Purpose is to "create 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." To fulfill this Purpose, it is essential to integrate not only technology but also business models and diverse human resources.

This is how NEC is creating what's ahead. Together, the 110,000 people of the NEC Group are combining their knowledge and wisdom under the same vision to create and deliver value for tomorrow.

President and Chief Executive Officer (Representative Director)
Takayuki Morita
CREATING
HISTORY
AHEAD

A LEGACY OF INNOVATION

CREATING
HISTORY
AHEAD

OUR 1st ERA

1899

A Telecommunications technology venture

NEC was founded in the spirit of better products and services during a nascent era of social infrastructure development in Japan. New infrastructure meant electricity being supplied to ordinary households, as well as the popularization of radio and television. During this time, NEC achieved a series of Japan-first innovations that dramatically advanced telecommunications technology and enriched people's lives.

1899

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF NIPPON ELECTRIC COMPANY, LIMITED

NEC was established on July 17, 1899, by Kunihiko Iwadare and others as Japan's first joint venture with a foreign company.

1928

DEVELOPED AND DEMONSTRATED JAPAN'S FIRST NE-TYPE PHOTOTELEGRAPHY EQUIPMENT

Succeeded in phototelegraphy at the Showa Emperor's enthronement ceremony.

1964

FIRST-EVER SATELLITE TV RELAY

NEC satellite communication equipment made live TV coverage of the Tokyo Olympics possible through international satellite relay.

1970

JAPAN'S FIRST SATELLITE “OHSUMI” LAUNCHED

On February 11, 1970, the first Japanese satellite was launched by the Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science, University of Tokyo.

OUR 2nd ERA

1977

A Pioneering ICT Company

As Japan's core industries shifted to automobiles, electrical appliances and electronics, NEC advocated the integration of “C&C” – computer and communications technology. The development of the internet brought new challenges in security infrastructure. And NEC led the development of more convenient and secure information and communication technologies (ICT) that improved daily lives.

1982

RELEASED THE 16-BIT PERSONAL COMPUTER "PC-9801"

This computer was the fastest of its era, incorporating an Intel microprocessor and 128 KB memory.

1999

LAUNCHED THE i-MODE COMPATIBLE FOLDABLE+H21 MOBILE PHONE

Introduced an internet-capable flip phone, one of the first to support NTT DoCoMo's “i-mode” service offerings.

2009

RECEIVED HIGHEST GLOBAL RATING* FOR FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY

NEC ranked highest in the static face image category of a vendor evaluation project conducted by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology.

*NIST’s evaluations do not constitute an endorsement by the US government of any particular system, product, service, or company.
https://jpn.nec.com/biometrics/face/history.html

2010

NEC-DEVELOPED ASTEROID PROBE "HAYABUSA" RETURNS TO EARTH

Hayabusa successfully brought back samples from Itokawa, an asteroid just 540 meters in diameter, located 300 million kilometers from Earth.

Illust: Akihiro Ikeshita

OUR 3rd ERA

2013

A Social Value Innovator

During this era, the Japanese economy experienced stagnation due to the Lehman Shock and other factors. Worldwide, daily lifestyles changed dramatically with the spread of mobile devices and the internet. With a purpose of “creating social value and realizing a sustainable society,” NEC used its strengths in innovation, AI technology and supercomputers to help create a more sustainable, prosperous society.

2018

NEC-DEVELOPED HAYABUSA2 REACHES ASTEROID RYUGU

The asteroid explorer returned to Earth with a capsule containing samples on December 6, 2020.

Illust: Akihiro Ikeshita
2019

FULL-SCALE ENTRY INTO DRUG DISCOVERY BUSINESS USING CUTTING-EDGE AI

Specializing in advanced immunotherapy for cancer and other diseases, NEC made a full-scale entry into the drug discovery business.

2023

BUILT ONE OF THE LARGEST SUPERCOMPUTERS FOR AI RESEARCH IN JAPAN

NEC developed the supercomputer under a strong proprietary security environment, and AI learning time was reduced to 1/4,600.

2024

ANNOUNCED NEW BRAND “NEC BluStellar”

Lighting the way forward for our customers' digital transformation.

CREATING
WHATS
AHEAD
PIONEERS

The founding spirit of “better products and services”

On July 17, 1899, Kunihiko Iwadare established Nippon Electric Company, Ltd. as Japan's first foreign-affiliated company. Dedicated to the founding spirit of "better products and services," after working with the legendary inventor Thomas Edison in America, he led Nippon Electric Company's business development as a foremost representative of the Japanese industry. Aiming to enrich people's lives through telecommunications technology, he studied advanced technologies overseas and contributed to technology development in Japan. Under his leadership, the company achieved a series of technological innovations that were firsts in Japan.

NEC's technology pioneer: “People are fundamental to technology”

In July 1927, Yasujiro Niwa invented the first NE-type phototelegraphic equipment in Japan. While the technology was already being put to practical use in Europe and the US, he used the NEC-developed system for coverage of the Showa Emperor Accession Ceremony in November 1928. This great success contributed to the subsequent development of Japan's phototelegraphic technology (fax). He aimed to open up a new era through the high-quality Japanese technology he pioneered. Through his idea that people are fundamental to technology, he also emphasized the importance of an engineer's vision and personality.

Since our founding,
NEC GROUP has
always embraced
transformation that shapes the future.

“C&C” (The Integration of Computers & Communications)

On October 10, 1977, Koji Kobayashi advocated "C&C" (The Integration of Computers & Communications) at Intelcom 77 held in the US. In this pre-internet era, this revolutionary vision of "C&C" was ahead of its time, and he led the information and communications industry forward. Under the management principle, "Keep in mind that a stable company is unstable, and an unstable company is stable," he also raised the company's profile worldwide, particularly in regard to semiconductors.

This legacy continues today,

Building a tomorrow better than today

My work involves management, planning and execution for a public system project focused on realizing a more digital society. On a daily basis, I remain conscious of our client's goals and the greater picture, so I don't get lost in the tasks in front of me. I actively consider how to make improvements and implement them. I am working so that every day will be better than the last, for everyone living fulfilling lives in Japan.

Let's drive into a new world!

My work involves developing next-generation in-vehicle platforms. Support for next-gen vehicles comes with many challenges and daily exercises in trial and error. By trusting my colleagues and supporting each other, we focus on making marked achievements, with the willingness and courage it takes to tackle challenges every day and create new value. Through safe, secure, convenient and comfortable forms of future mobility, I'm proud to help people worldwide drive into a new world of possibilities and experiences.

This legacy continues today,
when many NEC GROUP professionals
are
taking the first dynamic steps
in their
respective fields.

Actively embracing transformation and digitizing our expertise

I am involved in the aerospace and defense business, working to support national security and improve quality of individual projects, from upstream business establishment to procurement and delivery of ICT products. In my daily work, we are not bound by existing methods, and believe new experiences lead to skill building. We are actively embracing change, and leveraging AI to eliminate dependence on specialist knowledge and accumulate new expertise. By making the most of NEC's history and embracing new transformation, I want to create a company and future we are proud of, where everyone has the potential to shine.

Creating a new future for regional financial institutions

We are focused on modernizing regional financial institutions through data-driven initiatives. Specifically we support system infrastructure building, solution development and governance enhancement. I am new to this field, but I'm working hard daily as an NEC representative to earn the trust of our customers. I am from rural Japan myself, and I hope to contribute to the future of local economies through business co-creation and value provision alongside regional financial institutions.

The history of NEC GROUP is
the history of those who create.
NEC GROUP will continue to
build new worlds,
far into the future.

NEC GROUP 125TH ANNIVERSARY 
CONCEPT VIDEO

CREATING FUTURES AHEAD

Some people travel into space.
Others work deep underwater.

Different people fulfill respective
tasks in challenging,
dynamic environments. In the
end, their efforts create new
sources of energy that
empower people around the world.

Their story represents the conduct and
actions of every member of
NEC GROUP.

As they work together in tandem,
NEC GROUP is also embracing
new initiatives today to

lead our world
to a future unimaginable.

OUR INITIATIVES IN CREATING NEW FUTURES

A New Brand
Focused on
Value Creation

NEC BluStellar

LIGHTING THE WAY FORWARD FOR OUR CUSTOMERS' DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

NEC BluStellar blends best-in-class business transformation practices,
technologies and experience into solutions that target the most pressing needs of our customers.
It turns the complexities and challenges of Digital Transformation
into new opportunities and business value.

IT Service

Generative AI

NEC has built a large-scale language model (LLM) with top-class Japanese language processing capability.

Biometric Authentication

NEC possesses world-class biometric authentication technologies for face, iris and fingerprint recognition.

Social
Infrastructure

5G

NEC is building open and secure 5G networks with telecommunications carriers in many different countries.

National Security

NEC provides solutions that protect and support Japan's national security.

Next Pillar
New Businesses

AI Drug Discovery

NEC is applying cutting-edge AI to the field of drug discovery to develop safer, more effective advanced immunotherapies.

AI Farming

NEC provides AI-based farming consultation and harvest control to optimize the entire value chain in food and agriculture to respond to the impacts of climate change.

Sustainability

SDGs Initiatives

NEC contributes to the achievement of the SDGs by maximizing the use of ICT to solve social issues with a wide range of stakeholders.

Inclusion & Diversity (I&D) Initiatives

Led by top management, NEC positions the realization of I&D as a growth strategy for management and business.

NEC