Noetra Launches Major R&D Initiative for Japan-Developed Multimodal AI Model

Noetra Corp. has launched a full-scale research and development initiative to build a Japan-developed multimodal foundation model designed to power AI-enabled robots and physical AI. The project is supported by core member companies and investors, including Sony Group Corporation, SoftBank Corp., NEC Corporation, and Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Infrastructure and Development Roadmap

To support the project, Noetra has established a dedicated R&D organization staffed by engineers from its core members, the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Preferred Networks, Inc., and other participating organizations. The company plans to utilize Japan-based AI computing infrastructure to begin development. Additionally, in collaboration with NVIDIA, Noetra intends to construct new AI computing infrastructure equipped with approximately 27,500 NVIDIA Rubin GPUs. Construction is scheduled to begin in April 2027, with operations expected to commence in June 2028.

Noetra’s development roadmap includes the following phases:

Fiscal 2026: Development of a reasoning foundation model focused on Japanese language understanding, logical reasoning, and instruction following.
Fiscal 2028: Creation of an omni-modal foundation model capable of processing text, images, video, and audio.
Fiscal 2030: Realization of “Real-world Native AI” designed for spatial awareness and deployment in physical environments.

Strategic Goals

Hironobu Tamba, President and CEO of Noetra Corp., stated that the initiative is essential for Japan to become a global leader in physical AI, noting the goal to strengthen industrial competitiveness and address societal challenges. Core members expressed their commitment to the project, with Sony’s Hiroki Totoki citing the importance of physical AI in semiconductors and entertainment, and SoftBank’s Junichi Miyakawa emphasizing the secure utilization of domestic industrial data. NEC President and CEO Takayuki Morita added that his company would leverage its end-to-end AI development expertise to support the project.

Noetra has secured investments from 44 companies and organizations across various industries, led by the manufacturing sector. The resulting foundation models are intended to be made available externally and released in stages based on research progress and real-world implementation.

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