News Release
Nomura and University of Tsukuba to Launch Joint Blockchain
R&D Project
Tokyo, March 28, 2019— Nomura Holdings, Inc. (Nomura) and the University ofTsukuba today announced that they have agreed to launch a joint project that leverages
blockchain technology from April 2019.
The project will be headed by Kazumasa Omote, Associate Professor at the Universityof Tsukuba, in collaboration with Nomura Asset Management Co., Ltd. (NAM) and
N-Village Co., Ltd., wholly owned subsidiaries of Nomura.
Blockchain technology offers a number of advantages including the prevention of data
tampering and enhanced transparency. NAM and N-Village will partner with theUniversity of Tsukuba to build a platform (testbed) for blockchain experiments at theuniversity, and conduct research and development of highly secure blockchain
technologies.
As part of the project, the partners plan to incorporate blockchain themes into "enPiT"1,a joint educational initiative between industry and universities in Japan aimed atdeveloping exceptional IT talent. The partners will also look to construct a securesystem to provide various business services on the blockchain, and test blockchain
business models. In addition, they will do joint research and verification tests to examine
how the technology can be used in the asset management industry.
NAM will use the results of the project to help advance its efforts to digitalize the asset
management industry, as well as further tailor investment products to the needs of its
clients.
N-Village will promote the development and application of new services that will become
part of the financial and social infrastructure needed for value exchanges between
economic entities.
As a leader of business systems design for enPiT, the University of Tsukuba will work tocultivate human resources capable of using information technology to solve specificsocial problems. As well as engaging in research and development regarding
blockchain security, the university aims to nurture blockchain engineers through theenPiT program.
By working closely with NAM, the university will also examine the digitalization of theinvestment trust business, taking into account actual business operations such as
investment management and new investment product design.

ends

1enPiT (Education Network for Practical Information Technologies) is a training program launched in 2012

by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The program targets university
students and aims to develop human resources in the information technology field.

NomuraNomura is an Asia-headquartered financial services group with an integrated global network spanning over30 countries. By connecting markets East & West, Nomura services the needs of individuals, institutions,corporates and governments through its four business divisions: Retail, Asset Management, Wholesale(Global Markets and Investment Banking), and Merchant Banking. Founded in 1925, the firm is built on atradition of disciplined entrepreneurship, serving clients with creative solutions and considered thought
leadership. For further information about Nomura, visit www.nomura.com
University of Tsukuba
The University of Tsukuba has roots extending back to 1872, when it was founded as modern Japan’s firstnational higher education institution.
Today, it is the anchor institution of Tsukuba Science City — Japan’s premier science-and-technology hub,which is a convenient 45-minute train ride northeast of central Tokyo.