The Japanese government-backed Noetra project is considered one of the country's largest initiatives to compete with the United States and China in artificial intelligence and robotics. The project's CEO Hironobu Tamba called it "Japan's last chance."
Noetra has received more than 380 billion yen (about 2.33 billion US dollars) in government funding for its first year. The project is supported by 44 companies, including SoftBank, Honda and Sony.
The company has already ordered 27,500 Nvidia Rubin processors to build a next-generation AI infrastructure. Construction of the infrastructure is scheduled to begin in April 2027, and commissioning is scheduled for June 2028.
Noetra will develop a foundation AI model for physical artificial intelligence and robotics. The goal is to provide Japanese companies with a reliable and secure AI platform that can manage their data without relying on external platforms.
As the US and China compete for global leadership in artificial intelligence, Japan, a world leader in the production of industrial robots, is also trying to strengthen its technological independence.
The Japanese government aims to deploy 10 million artificial intelligence-enabled robots in manufacturing, shipbuilding and other industries by 2040.
