Tokyo, March 26, 2026 - NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) ranked first in the world in the latest fingerprint identification technology benchmark test (Friction Ridge Image and Features (FRIF) Technology Evaluations (TE) Exemplar One-to-Many (E1N), *1) conducted by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST, *2).

In a test simulating the two-finger identification used in immigration control at airports in Japan and various other countries and regions, which matched images against a fingerprint database of 1.6 million people, NEC achieved the highest level of accuracy with an identification error rate of 0.02%, earning the top performance rating among participating global organizations. Furthermore, in a test matching images against a database of 3 million fingerprints, which simulated the 8-finger and 10-finger identification commonly used for national IDs, the system received one of the top evaluations, demonstrating excellent performance suitable for practical operation with large-scale databases (*3).

Test category in which 1st place was achieved

The fingerprint identification technology benchmark test hosted by NIST is a rigorous and highly impartial process in which NIST conducts blind evaluations of programs developed and submitted by various organizations under identical conditions. For users considering the adoption of fingerprint identification technology, it is highly regarded as one of the few tests that allows for a centralized comparison of the algorithm performance of organizations worldwide.

For over 50 years, NEC has been developing fingerprint identification technology as one of the key technologies for realizing a safe and secure society. NEC has now improved the accuracy of its fingerprint identification technology by applying its proprietary deep learning technology—developed through its facial recognition technology, which boasts the world’s highest identification accuracy (*4)—to fingerprint identification. NEC’s fingerprint identification has been adopted in more than 40 countries worldwide, including Vietnam’s national ID system, and is highly regarded for its reliability and practicality.

Going forward, NEC will continue to contribute to the realization of a safe and secure society by applying its cutting-edge fingerprint identification technology to national infrastructure, such as immigration control and national ID systems, as well as to security measures for government agencies and businesses.

NEC prioritizes privacy and respect for human rights in its use of data, including AI and biometric information, in accordance with the "NEC Group Policy on AI and Human Rights" (*5).

Under its value creation model, "NEC BluStellar," NEC transforms business models with cross-industry knowledge and cutting-edge technologies, leading to the resolution of social issues and customers' management challenges. The company’s core biometric technologies, face recognition, iris recognition and fingerprint recognition, have repeatedly received the highest ratings in global benchmark tests sponsored by U.S. government agencies. NEC will continue to create further added value by enhancing services and functions, and aims to solve customer challenges by providing secure, safe, and reliable services.

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About NEC
The NEC Group leverages technology to create social value and promote a more sustainable world where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential. NEC Corporation was established in 1899. Today, the NEC Group’s approximately 110,000 employees utilize world-leading AI, security, and communications technologies to solve the most pressing needs of customers and society.

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