Mitsubishi Heavy Industries : and Preferred Networks Form Capital and Business Alliance Accelerating joint development of cutting-edge AI technologies for the intelligence and autonomy of machinery and systems in mission-critical applications

Press Information

Tokyo, September 16, 2026 - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) and Preferred Networks, Inc. (PFN) today announced that they entered into a capital and business alliance agreement on August 31, 2026. In June 2026, the two companies announced an initial business alliance(Note) to jointly develop cutting-edge AI technologies to enhance the intelligence and autonomy of machinery and systems across mission-critical domains, including social infrastructure and national security. This capital and business alliance agreement establishes a robust cooperative framework to advance MHI and PFN's joint development over the medium to long term. Under the agreement, MHI will underwrite shares issued by PFN through a third-party allotment and invest a total of 10 billion yen in PFN, accelerating the joint development, subject to the completion of all necessary procedures, including approvals at PFN's general meeting of shareholders.

Amid increasingly complex societal challenges, including shifting global dynamics, labor shortages, and aging social infrastructure, demand is growing to deploy advanced AI in mission-critical domains such as social infrastructure and national security. These domains require high reliability and rapid responsiveness to enhance resilience and ensure safety and security. Applying AI in mission-critical domains requires a deep understanding and control of AI mechanisms, securely integrated with field operations, equipment and control systems. Furthermore, to ensure that Japan can proactively and stably leverage AI technologies independently from the external environment, accumulating AI technologies, data, and operational expertise domestically is increasingly vital.

Deploying AI effectively under these conditions requires deep expertise in operational sites, equipment and control systems in mission-critical domains, alongside a technological foundation that supports everything from AI development to deployment and operation.

MHI has provided and operated resilient, safe, and secure machinery and systems for decades across sectors such as social infrastructure, aerospace, defense, and space. The company has brought technologies and expertise in design, manufacturing, control, simulation and maintenance, along with data linked to onsite situations and conditions, backed by operational field data and deep customer trust.

PFN internally develops a full stack of technologies for AI, ranging from AI chips, computing infrastructure, and generative AI foundation models to products and solutions. Centered on homegrown technologies, PFN has deployed safe and sustainable AI technologies across diverse industrial environments.

Through this capital and business alliance, the two companies will combine their technologies and expertise to accelerate joint R&D and real-world deployment of intelligent, autonomous machinery and systems for social infrastructure and national security, where high reliability and rapid responsiveness are required. As partners moving forward together, MHI and PFN share a mindset of being agile, fast, and constantly evolving without being bound by existing frameworks. Together, the two companies aim to create new value and contribute to the maintenance and development of a safe and secure society.

Comment from Eisaku Ito, President and CEO, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.:
"PFN's commitment to implementing cutting-edge, domestically developed AI technologies across hardware and software deeply resonates with the spirit of craftsmanship that flows through MHI. Deploying AI in mission-critical domains is one of the top-priority issues for strengthening societal resilience, and we have built these values as we move toward development and commercialization through our joint research and business alliance.

MHI advocates for 'ITO' (Innovative Total Optimization) and is working on total optimization and domain expansion with unprecedented speed. This capital and business alliance with PFN aligns with ITO, in that it advances total optimization and maximizes the strengths of both companies to expand into new domains. We view this alliance as an essential step toward building a truly safe and secure society, and we will dedicate our full efforts to the implementation of more innovative next-generation infrastructure than ever before."

Comment from Daisuke Okanohara, CEO, Preferred Networks, Inc.:
"Deploying AI in mission-critical domains is a complex challenge on a global scale. To make AI practical on the ground, we must go beyond model performance - we must address field-specific constraints, ensure reliability, real-time responsiveness and continuous operability, while optimizing hardware and software as a whole. Through our joint research, MHI and PFN have aligned on this perspective while advancing efforts toward practical implementation.

Under this capital and business alliance, we will deeply connect MHI's decades of expertise in field operations, equipment, control systems and safe operations with PFN's vertically integrated technologies - from AI chips to foundation models - we will deliver achievements that neither company could accomplish alone, bolstering social safety and industrial competitiveness."

• Please see the following press release regarding the business alliance:
  https://www.mhi.com/news/260602.html

About Preferred Networks
Guided by its mission to "Make the real world computable and create the future together," Preferred Networks, Inc. (PFN) develops advanced software and hardware technologies through a vertically integrated approach spanning the entire AI value chain-from AI chips and computing infrastructure to generative AI foundation models and solutions across a wide range of industries. Founded in 2014 in Tokyo, PFN currently develops and delivers the MN-Core™ series of AI processors, the PFCP™ cloud platform for AI computing, and the Japan-developed generative AI foundation model PLaMo™. https://www.preferred.jp/en/

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group is one of the world's leading industrial groups, spanning energy, smart infrastructure, industrial machinery, aerospace and defense. MHI Group combines cutting-edge technology with deep experience to deliver innovative, integrated solutions that help to realize a carbon neutral world, improve the quality of life and ensure a safer world. For more information, please visit www.mhi.com or follow our insights and stories on spectra.mhi.com.

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