#Japan #Tokyo #Tokyu Corporation #Nextremer #GENIAC-PRIZE

Nextremer and Tokyu Corporation Shine at GENIAC-PRIZE

In an impressive win, Nextremer and Tokyu Corporation have been awarded the “Sustainable Implementation Award” and the “HDI-Japan Special Award” at the inaugural GENIAC-PRIZE program. Launched by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization), this initiative aims to leverage competitive prizes for innovative solutions in three major sectors: social issues, public services, and safety.

The GENIAC-PRIZE program features a total prize pool of about 800 million yen, targeting various social challenges and encouraging diverse developers from regions across Japan to accelerate the implementation and utilization of generative AI applications. In this first installation of the program, focusing on the development of AI agents utilizing domestically-produced foundational models to address social issues, a total of 114 entries, spanning manufacturing and customer service, were submitted. Eight finalists for each theme were selected based on their pitches presented on March 24, 2026, leading to the determination of award winners.

Among the innovative initiatives presented, a project involving the “AI Minarai” service provided by Nextremer was highlighted. This interactive AI service was utilized at two tourist information locations managed by the Shibuya Tourist Association and Tokyu Corporation: SHIBU HACHI BOX and WANDER COMPASS SHIBUYA. The project aimed to enhance the efficiency of tourist guidance by automating routine inquiries and providing uniform guidance quality. Their achievements include:

• - The AI system handled standard queries, allowing human staff to focus on providing personalized service, resulting in a reduction of manual work by 22.4%.
• - Utilization of a domestic large language model further improved answer accuracy from 76.0% to an impressive 94.5%.
• - The development of a dialogue simulator enabling seamless interaction across a variety of scenarios, ensuring human-like conversational quality through extensive testing.
• - Foreign visitors can easily access the AI agent using a QR code, removing the need for an app download.

The awards were a recognition of Nextremer and Tokyu’s commitment to leveraging generative AI for improving customer experiences and operational efficiency. The initiative underlines the potential of AI to address a variety of needs while offering new value propositions.

As they move forward, Nextremer envisions continued exploration of generative AI's capabilities, aiming to further develop convenient and innovative interactive AI services that cater to diverse requirements.

About GENIAC-PRIZE

The GENIAC-PRIZE was formulated to tackle pressing social issues through AI, comprising four themes:
1. Development of AI agents for solving social issues using domestic foundational models.
2. Knowledge formalization to improve productivity in manufacturing.
3. Efficiency enhancements for public sector review processes.
4. Developing risk exploration and mitigation technologies for AI safety.

This program promotes a competition-driven approach to innovative research and development, creating opportunities for collaboration between the developers and users aiming to address social challenges and foster new industries.

Contact for Further Information

For inquiries regarding this achievement:

• - Nextremer: PR Contact Email: [email protected]
• - Tokyu Corporation: PR Group, President's Office, Tel: 03-3477-6086.

As the landscape of AI continues to evolve, such achievements exemplify the transformative potential of technology when harnessed through collaborative efforts aimed at societal betterment.