Hitachi and Microsoft Enter Milestone Agreement to Accelerate Business and Social Innovation with Generative AI
4.6.2024 04:00:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE:6501) and Microsoft Corporation announced a projected multi-billion dollar collaboration over the next three years, that will accelerate social innovation with generative AI. Through this strategic alliance, Hitachi will propel growth of the Lumada business, with a planned revenue of 2.65 trillion yen (18.9 billion USD)*1 in FY2024, and will promote operational efficiency and productivity improvements for Hitachi Group’s 270 thousand employees.
Specifically, Hitachi will embed the Microsoft cloud, Azure Open AI Service, Dynamics 365, Copilot for Microsoft 365, and GitHub Copilot into Lumada solutions to provide innovative solutions for the energy, mobility and other industries to deliver better outcomes for businesses and society. In addition, the two companies will promote joint projects to address pressing business needs such as bolstering cloud services, enhancing security, and mitigating the environmental footprint of data centers, which have become an increasing area of focus with the growing use of generative AI.
“Hitachi has been driving transformation by applying AI across the Hitachi Group to improve productivity and will invest 300 billion yen (2.1 billion USD)*1 in GenAI to capture new growth opportunities in FY2024. Hitachi and Microsoft have already been working on a variety of co-creation projects including the development of next-generation digital solutions for the manufacturing and logistics fields*2, and the development of a field-extended metaverse that runs on Microsoft Teams,” said Keiji Kojima, President and CEO of Hitachi. “Under this new agreement, we are excited to further accelerate social innovation by expanding our efforts to social infrastructure areas such as energy and mobility, and by applying generative AI, to improve the productivity of frontline workers, which will become even more important in the future. By combining our capabilities, we can help solve the issues faced by our customers and society, and contribute to a more sustainable future.”
“We are entering a new era of AI with the promise to deliver transformative business outcomes across every role and industry,” said Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO, Microsoft. “Our expanded partnership with Hitachi will bring together the power of the Microsoft Cloud – including Microsoft Copilot – with Hitachi’s industry expertise to improve the productivity of 270,000 Hitachi employees and help address customers’ biggest challenges, including sustainability.”
Hitachi’s Business Transformation
Hitachi’s Generative AI Center*3 and Microsoft will collaborate to improve operational efficiency and application development within the Hitachi Group by using Copilot for Microsoft 365 and GitHub Copilot. Hitachi will also use Azure OpenAI Service to enhance its customer service. As part of Hitachi’s group-wide transformation, Hitachi will combine Azure OpenAI Service and GitHub Copilot with its systems development expertise to maintain high quality and improve productivity for mission-critical system development. Hitachi’s internal validation confirmed that when its detailed system design knowledge was incorporated with Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service and GitHub Copilot, the application source code could be properly generated 70-90% of the time, resulting in high quality output.*4
Hitachi Rail is leveraging GenAI for predictive maintenance, enhancing equipment monitoring and refining forecast accuracy. This proactive approach prevents breakdowns, increases service quality, reduces operating expenses, and augments safety. For example, a cloud-based platform on Microsoft Azure was utilized to streamline data visualization and analysis, empowered by AI to furnish data-driven insights to digitally monitor rail infrastructure. These insights were translated into actionable steps for Network Rail, enhancing decision-making for predictive maintenance of overhead lines.
Develop innovative digital solutions
Hitachi is enhancing its Lumada solutions by incorporating the capability of generative AI. As part pf the initiative, Hitachi has already started to use Microsoft’s Generative AI for JP1 Cloud Services, a SaaS version of JP1, its integrated operations management software with approximately 20 thousand customers. This will accelerate response times to address failures, and enable improved operational efficiencies for IT departments, financial and public institutions. In an internal verification test conducted earlier, Hitachi confirmed that the time required for the operator to make an initial response to an alert was reduced to approximately two-thirds by using generated AI to respond to the alert and displaying the source of the citation, such as a manual, that provided the basis for the response.
In addition to this, Hitachi and Microsoft will also support the energy transition with improved access to and strengthening of digital solutions for asset performance management, energy trading, and risk management to reduce downtime and increase profitability. Increased computing power and cloud infrastructure are both critical to scaling these applications. Hitachi Energy’s Enterprise Software Solutions technology and its partnership with Microsoft is key to optimizing the energy network, from generation, through transmission and distribution, and ultimately in delivering reliable and sustainable energy to customers.
Joint projects to promote sustainable growth
Multiple Hitachi Group Companies including GlobalLogic, Hitachi Digital Services, and Hitachi Solutions, deliver a wide range of digital engineering, IT & managed services, and application services for the cloud. Additional development efforts through this partnership will focus on enhancing this broad range of services with the aim of sustainable innovation with Microsoft.
As the impact of CO2 emissions from AI on the global environment increases, Hitachi and Microsoft will work toward zero carbon, starting with a data center project in Europe, to reduce environmental impact.
Strengthen digital skilling and talent development
Hitachi will train more than 50 thousand GenAI Professionals. As part of the partnership, Hitachi will incorporate training to acquire advanced software development skills using GitHub Copilot and Azure OpenAI Service into the program to develop GenAI Professional, talents who support customers’ transformation using AI.
*1 | Forecast as of April 26, 2024, calculated at 140 yen to the U.S. dollar. |
*2 | Hitachi News Release (June 26, 2020) “Hitachi and Microsoft form a strategic alliance to advance next-generation digital solutions for manufacturing and logistics across Southeast Asia, North America and Japan” |
*3 | Hitachi News Release (May 15, 2023) “Hitachi Establishes New ‘Generative AI Center’ to Accelerate Value Creation and Improve Productivity in the Lumada business by promoting the use of Generative AI” |
*4 | Hitachi News Release (May 21, 2024)“Hitachi to Accelerate System Development Transformation with Generative AI" |
About Hitachi, Ltd.
Hitachi drives Social Innovation Business, creating a sustainable society through the use of data and technology. We solve customers’ and society’s challenges with Lumada solutions leveraging IT, OT (Operational Technology) and products. Hitachi operates under the 3 business sectors of “Digital Systems & Services” – supporting our customers’ digital transformation; “Green Energy & Mobility” – contributing to a decarbonized society through energy and railway systems, and “Connective Industries” – connecting products through digital technology to provide solutions in various industries. Driven by Digital, Green, and Innovation, we aim for growth through co-creation with our customers. The company’s revenues as 3 sectors for fiscal year 2023 (ended March 31, 2024) totaled 8,564.3 billion yen, with 573 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 270,000 employees worldwide. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company’s website at https://www.hitachi.com.
About Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) creates platforms and tools powered by AI to deliver innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. The technology company is committed to making AI available broadly and doing so responsibly, with a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240603649131/en/
Contact information
Media Contacts
Microsoft Media Relations, WE Communications for Microsoft, (425) 638-7777,
rapidresponse@we-worldwide.com
Corporate Communications, Digital Systems & Services, Hitachi, Ltd.
koho@itg.hitachi.co.jp
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
120 Million AI Pay Transactions in a Single Week: AI Shopping Agents Move From Theory to Checkout30.7.2026 13:45:00 EEST | Press release
The debate is shifting as early examples show AI shopping agents completing transactions in some markets. According to NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a leading consumer intelligence company, its global report The Commerce Revolution: Where East Meets West points to agentic commerce moving from experiment toward everyday infrastructure. According to Ant Group, Alipay AI Pay processed more than 120 million transactions during the week of February 5–11, 2026, while Adobe Analytics reported that traffic from generative AI sources to US retail websites increased by 1,200% between July 2024 and February 2025. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260730837106/en/ Agentic commerce is beginning to move from forecast to real-world use in some markets. In China, AI agents are already completing purchases at meaningful scale, and analysts now put the global opportunity at $3–5 trillion by 2030. This is the second release in NielsenIQ’
Quectel Launches FCE870X and FME170X Tri-band Wi-Fi 7 Modules With Bluetooth 6.0 for Set-top Boxes, Gaming Devices and More30.7.2026 11:00:00 EEST | Press release
Quectel Wireless Solutions, a global end-to-end IoT solutions provider, today announces the FCE870X and FME170X tri-band Wi-Fi 7 modules, powered by the Synaptics SYN4384 chipset and designed for set-top boxes, gaming devices, digital signage, VR/AR headsets, smart gateways and other high-performance connected products. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260730986067/en/ Quectel launches FCE870X and FME170X tri-band Wi-Fi 7 modules with Bluetooth 6.0 for set-top boxes, gaming devices and more The FCE870X and FME170X share the same high-end feature set and differ only in form factor. The FCE870X Wi-Fi 7 module uses a Compact LCC package for embedded designs, while the FME170X Wi-Fi 7 module uses a Compact M.2 package for modular, slot-based systems. Device makers can choose the option that best fits their platform without compromising wireless performance. “These high-end Wi-Fi 7 modules are engineered to run acro
Singapore Selects Thales for Next-generation AI-powered Air Traffic Management System Serving One of Asia’s Busiest Airspaces30.7.2026 11:00:00 EEST | Press release
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has awarded Thales a landmark contract to develop a new NexGen Air Traffic Management System (ATMS) and air traffic control radars, marking a major step towards a more efficient, safer and more sustainable aviation ecosystem. The NexGen ATMS will replace the current LORADS III system with Thales’ TopSky – ATC One solution. The project also covers knowledge transfer including through having CAAS officers join the project office in France and other localisation projects in Singapore. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260730033092/en/ (c) Thales A next-generation system to support the growth of regional air traffic As Singapore prepares to meet rising demand for air travel, the NexGen ATMS will play a pivotal role in introducing a fully integrated, AI-enabled air traffic control environment. At the heart of the system is TopSky – ATC One, Thales’ next-generation auto
Western Europe’s Fashion E-commerce Market Matures, Representing 20% of Online Consumer Spending as Gen Z Drives momentum30.7.2026 10:00:00 EEST | Press release
Fashion remains one of the largest and most resilient categories in Western European e-commerce, accounting for approximately 20% of online consumer spending across key markets, according to the latest NIQ (NYSE: NIQ) report, Decoding the Fashion E-commerce European Market in 2026. The study analyzes the behaviour of more than 2 million online shoppers across 10 European countries, providing one of the most comprehensive views of the region’s online fashion landscape. While fashion continues to play a central role in e-commerce, the category is entering a new phase of maturity. Across Europe, total e-commerce sales grew by 5% over the past year, compared with 3% growth for online fashion sales, highlighting the need for brands and retailers to find new avenues for growth. Key findings of the report: Fashion remains a core e-commerce category Fashion represents around one-fifth of total online spending across Western Europe. It remains one of the largest e-commerce sectors, second only
Takeda Announces FY2026 First Quarter Results, Near-Term Launch Preparations and Pipeline Progress on Track30.7.2026 09:37:00 EEST | Press release
Takeda (TOKYO:4502/NYSE:TAK) announced financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2026 (April 1, 2026 to June 30, 2026), marking a period of disciplined execution and operational momentum. Takeda leveraged the resilient performance of its core in-line portfolio to support its long-term strategy, advancing commercial launch preparations and driving critical R&D pipeline milestones. With a clear operational trajectory established in the first quarter and under a new operating model, Takeda remains on track to deliver its strategic and financial commitments for the fiscal year. FY2026 First Quarter Highlights Revenue increased by +10.2% versus the prior-year period on an actual exchange rate (AER) basis and decreased by -0.5% on a Constant Exchange Rate (CER) basis as the negative impact of the loss of exclusivity of VYVANSE® was largely offset by growth from core in-line brands. Core Operating Profit increased by +11.5% on an AER basis and decreased by -0.5% on a CER basis, r
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom