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Mitsui & Co. partners with KDDI to develop Next-generation City Simulator – support for city planning leveraging big data and AI

Mar. 19, 2021


Mitsui & Co., Ltd. ("Mitsui", President and CEO: Tatsuo Yasunaga) and KDDI Corporation ("KDDI", President and CEO: Makoto Takahashi) announced today that they have signed a basic agreement on March 15th, 2021 to develop their "Next-generation City Simulator". This platform combines big data such as location information and AI to digitally reproduce people's movements in a city with details including time, place, purpose, and method of transportation.

In recent years, there has been increasing demand for business that supports the development of smart cities using advanced digital technology to address challenges in areas including transportation, medical care, and disaster prevention. To implement effective measures in these areas, it is extremely important to accurately visualize and understand what is happening within a city, and to accurately simulate the effects of implementing such measures.

Mitsui – experts in infrastructure business, including the development of smart cities, and possessing global business development capabilities – and KDDI – with expertise in big data analysis developed via its mobile business – have partnered to develop a platform that uses advanced machine learning to enable the visualization and simulation analysis of data related to the flow of people. Through this platform, the two companies aim to create new business that will make cities "smarter" in a range of areas.

One of the goals set out by Mitsui in its Medium-term Management Plan is to support social development by responding flexibly to a tumultuous business environment and to accelerating changes and customer demands. In addition, the company has determined the creation of new business using digital technology as a core business area. Through the Next-generation City Simulator business, Mitsui will support the development of social infrastructure essential for sustainable growth and development and contribute to the betterment of people's lives and the creation of a sustainable society.

Potential use cases of "Next-generation City Simulator" in smart city planningPotential use cases of "Next-generation City Simulator" in smart city planning

Mitsui’s Materiality

“Build brighter futures, everywhere” as our corporate mission, and to gain the trust and expectations of our stakeholders to realize a better tomorrow for earth and for people around the world, we have identified six material issues (“Materiality”) for Mitsui’s sustainable growth. We anticipate this particular project/ business to contribute especially to the realization of “Create a community coexisting with nature” and “Foster a well-being society”

  • Establish a foundation for sustainable and stable supply

    Establish a foundation for sustainable and stable supply

  • Create a community coexisting with nature

    Create a community coexisting with nature

  • Foster a well-being society

    Foster a well-being society

  • Cultivate societies that respect human rights

    Cultivate societies that respect human rights

  • Empower our people to build brighter futures

    Empower our people to build brighter futures

  • Build an organization with integrity

    Build an organization with integrity

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