Nvidia deepens Japan robotics push with partnerships across healthcare, manufacturing and drug discovery

Nvidia is widening its AI and robotics presence in Japan with a broader industrial push around physical AI and sovereign AI, adding new detail to collaborations with Fujitsu and major robot makers as the company seeks deeper ties beyond U.S. cloud customers. At a Tokyo press conference on July 16, Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang said Nvidia will work with Fujitsu, FANUC, Yaskawa Electric and Kawasaki Heavy Industries to build a common foundation for physical AI, with Nvidia supplying AI infrastructure and Fujitsu providing central processing units and software. The companies said Fujitsu and FANUC will apply physical AI in manufacturing, Yaskawa Electric in distribution and Kawasaki Heavy Industries in healthcare, while sharing expertise in AI and robot control to support robots that can operate more safely alongside people. Huang also said Nvidia will play an active role in developing sovereign AI in Japan. At an event hosted by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, he announced a semiconductor supply plan for Noetra, a company established by SoftBank Group, Honda, Sony Group and NEC to develop a Japanese physical AI model with government support of as much as 1 trillion yen, or about $6.7 billion, over five years. Nvidia also said it will provide AI models for traffic control systems in Toyota Motor Corp.’s Woven City, supply its Cosmos physical AI platform to more than 10 Japanese companies including Fujitsu and FANUC, and work with Hitachi Ltd. on validating autonomous factory operations. The latest move builds on Nvidia’s broader Japan expansion spanning healthcare, biotechnology and industrial automation, as Japan tries to strengthen its AI position and channel more investment into semiconductors, data centers and physical AI.