Tokyo & Osaka, April 4, 2016 - NEC Corporation and Osaka University announced today the establishment of the "NEC Brain-Inspired Computing Research Alliance Laboratories" on the Suita Campus of Osaka University on April 1 this year, and will commence collaborative research for new computing technologies (Brain-Inspired Computing Systems) based on the study of brain science.

Moreover, NEC and Osaka University aim to capitalize on the establishment of the Research Alliance Laboratories in order to strengthen cooperation with the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology's Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet) as well as the RIKEN Quantitative Biology Center as part of creating an industry innovation base for "brain information science application models" that helps to build new information and communications business.


Data traffic is rapidly increasing on a global scale due to the expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT). In this environment, future ICT technology requires new computing ideas that are exceptional in terms ofnergy efficiency, flexible in adaptability and friendly to people and the earth.


The Research Alliance Laboratories will commence with research into "Brain-Inspired Computing" as a new information processing technology learned from the characteristics of the brain, including its exceptional environmental adaptability, cognition, judgment, and highly efficient power consumption. Based on this thinking, NEC and Osaka University will work together to combine advanced knowledge of brain science and information science to achieve a new Brain-Inspired Computing System.

Until now, NEC has conducted collaborative research individually with the Center for Information and Neural Networks jointly established by Osaka University and the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology of the National Research and Development Agency, which are conducting globally unique advanced brain information processing research, and also with the Quantitative Biology Center, which was jointly established by Osaka University and the RIKEN National Research and Development Agency as leaders in the field of molecular dynamics simulation. The Research Alliance Laboratories will further strengthen the collaboration that has been established, and will work from a medium- and long-term perspective to develop human resources (entrepreneurs) who will support innovation activities and promote business on both the academic and industrial side.

About the Research Alliance Laboratories

Name: NEC Brain-Inspired Computing Research Alliance Laboratories
Address: Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Osaka University Suita Campus, 1-5 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan

Research system
Director: Toshio Yanagida (Specially Appointed Professor of Osaka University)
Deputy Director: Masayuki Murata (Professor of Osaka University, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology)
 　　　　　　　　　 　: Toshiyuki Kano (Senior Technical Chief of NEC)
Number of persons: Twelve, including the persons mentioned above (as of April 1, 2016)

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