Adoption of “Inter-AI cooperative fundamental technology” in NEDO business-Improving operational efficiency in manufacturing and physical distribution sites
through negotiations using AITokyo, January 21, 2019 - NEC Corporation(NEC; TSE: 6701), Oki Electric Industry Co.,
Ltd.(OKI; TSE: 6703), Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (R&D manager:
Associate Professor Katsuhide Fujita for the Institute of Engineering at Tokyo Universityof Agriculture and Technology), Toyota Tsusho Corporation(Toyota Tsusho；TSE：8015),
and the University of Tokyo (R&D manager: Associate Professor Koji Tsumura for theGraduate School of Information Science and Technology at the University of Tokyo), incollaboration with Professor Hiroko Kudo for the Faculty of Law at Chuo University,Professor Kiyoshi Izumi for the School of Engineering at the University of Tokyo,
Associate Professor Takanobu Otsuka for the Graduate School of Engineering at Nagoya
Institute of Technology, and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science andTechnology, were adopted for the public offering business run by the New Energy andIndustrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) regarding “inter-AIcooperative fundamental technology,” the R&D item for the “2nd period ofCross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP)/Cyberspace
fundamental technology utilizing big data and AI.” We will work on R&D under the themeof “Improvement of efficiency and flexibility of value chain through inter-AIcooperation.”As the utilization of AI progresses in a variety of fields in society, the adjustment ofinterest that cannot be undertaken by a system is required. However, the use of inter-AI
cooperative technology enables the creation of significant value. For example, eachcompany that operates a manufacturing system or a physical distribution system on avalue chain has AI as an agent. Through the coordination and cooperation of eachcompany’s AI, it becomes possible to immediately find a transaction partner andtransaction conditions that are advantageous for both the ordering party and the order
receiving party. This enables the efficiency and flexibility of inter-company transactions
throughout society to be improved while increasing the profits for each company.
In this R&D, it is assumed that AI searches for candidate partner companies fromhundreds or thousands of companies through a negotiation platform and also searches
for price and delivery deadlines that are agreeable for both the ordering party and the1／4

order receiving party. The search for transaction conditions is implemented throughnegotiations, that is, the mutual presentation of transaction conditions and theanswering of acceptability using standardized protocols*, data format, and vocabularydefinition. If conditions that are agreeable to both sides are found, the final judgment ofwhether to conclude an agreement is left to human users. The finalized agreement isimplemented at a manufacturing site or a physical distribution site.

This R&D develops a principle, foundation, and system necessary for implementing
inter-AI cooperation in society, integration technology with an operational system, avariety of protocols, and reference architecture (typical system configuration). Further,
the targeting and refinement of use cases are implemented through the participation ofcompanies and groups other than the proponents as an advisor. We will work on
international standardization and the establishment of a marketplace to encourage thedissemination of the results of the R&D.
NEC, OKI, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Toyota Tsusho, and theGraduate School of Information Science and Technology at the University of Tokyo will
work jointly on this R&D from FY2018 to FY2022. With this R&D, we will aim to improvethe efficiency and flexibility of a value chain through inter-AI cooperation and increase
the industrial competitiveness of Japan.

2／4

[Outline of roll allocation for each organization]
NEC: Overall control, development of a negotiation platform, and implementation of
overall behavior in manufacturing and physical distribution use cases

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology: Modelizationand design of manufacturing use cases in companies on the order receiving sideand the presentation of the best form of a next-generation manufacturing
information system

Chuo University: R&D of business, social, and legal rules for the implementationof inter-AI negotiation in societyProfessor Kiyoshi Izumi for the School of Engineering at the University of Tokyo:
R&D of the detection and control technology of malicious intentions andabnormalities to improve the stability and safety of the inter-AI negotiation table

Nagoya Institute of Technology: Implementation of a series of behaviors incompanies on the order receiving side for manufacturing use cases



OKI: Development of readjustment and negotiation use cases for a plan byinformation sharing in physical distribution and the implementation of overallbehavior


Nagoya Institute of Technology: Adjustment of a cross-sectional optimum planand the development of negotiation technology in the above use casesTokyo University of Agriculture and Technology: R&D of parallel negotiation
technology for a value chainAssociate Professor Koji Tsumura for the Graduate School of Information Scienceand Technology at the University of Tokyo: Development of a dynamic and robust
automatic negotiation mechanism from the viewpoint of control theoryToyota Tsusho: Extraction of challenges in physical distribution, design of use cases,
and demonstration experiment of physical distribution use cases

3／4*Protocols: Procedures and terms for communication between computers*The company names and product names described in this press release are generally the trademark or
registered trademark of each company.

4／4