Boostec Inc. to Participate in Building STATION Ai's Physical AI Ecosystem

Boostec Inc. (CEO: Natsuo Nagai (Monozukuri Taro), hereinafter "Boostec") is pleased to announce its participation as a partner for on-site manufacturing challenge analysis and task selection in the "STATION Ai Data Foundry" (hereinafter "the Center") project, a data collection center for physical AI being promoted by STATION Ai Inc. (Headquarters: Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, President & CEO: Hirotaka Sahashi, hereinafter "STATION Ai").

This initiative is part of the "Post-5G Information Communication System Foundation Enhancement R&D Project / R&D for Data Ecosystem Construction, etc. (GENIAC)" adopted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). Boostec will serve as a specialized partner for on-site knowledge and ROI evaluation in the manufacturing sector for the project. The company will promote this initiative in collaboration with manufacturing companies in the Aichi and Tokai regions, aiming for the Center's operational launch in December 2026. (※)

※References

METI Public Announcement (https://www.meti.go.jp/press/2026/07/20260702001/20260702001.html)

NEDO Public Announcement (https://www.nedo.go.jp/koubo/CD3_100430.html)

Background and Problem Recognition

In Japan's manufacturing industry, labor shortages and the succession of skilled craftsmanship are pressing issues, leading to rapidly growing expectations for automation and sophistication in production sites. However, when considering the introduction of physical AI and robots, it is often difficult to discern "in which processes implementation will be effective," and many demonstration projects proceed without a clear understanding of ROI.

Specifically, tasks in manufacturing sites such as assembly, picking, inspection, and parts conveyance exhibit significant variations depending on the site and the diversity of objects handled, resulting in vastly different effects of physical AI application. In this context, accurately structuring on-site challenges and selecting high-priority tasks from an ROI perspective are considered crucial factors for the successful social implementation of physical AI.

Boostec's Role in This Initiative

Leveraging its consulting expertise deeply familiar with manufacturing and its extensive network with manufacturing sites, Boostec will play the following roles in this project:

1. Selection of Target Tasks in Manufacturing Sites

In collaboration with manufacturing companies in the Aichi and Tokai regions, Boostec will prioritize the selection of tasks in processes such as assembly, picking, inspection, and parts conveyance where the return on investment (ROI) from physical AI implementation is expected. The selection process will emphasize not only technical feasibility but also alignment with management challenges such as productivity improvement, labor saving, and quality stabilization.

2. Structuring On-site Challenges and Specifying Demonstration Themes

Boostec will systematically organize and structure the on-site challenges faced by manufacturing companies from the perspectives of data collection, AI model development, and robot implementation. By visualizing these challenges, the company will promote matching with AI and robotics startups gathered within the STATION Ai community and support the specification of demonstration themes.

3. Support for ROI Evaluation in Physical AI Implementation

Boostec will provide ongoing support for evaluating and verifying the ROI at each phase, from the demonstration stage to on-site implementation and mass production deployment. The goal is to enable manufacturing companies to implement physical AI "with confidence" through continuous on-site follow-up.

About STATION Ai Data Foundry and the Physical AI Ecosystem

STATION Ai Data Foundry is a data collection center necessary for the implementation of physical AI for manufacturing, which is being developed with the aim of operational launch by STATION Ai in December 2026. It is being developed as an environment that supports the selection of tasks with expected ROI in manufacturing sites, the collection and processing of real-world data, the development and verification of AI models, and robot utilization demonstrations in an integrated manner.

Starting from this Center, STATION Ai aims to form an ecosystem where diverse players involved in physical AI, including AI model development companies, robot manufacturers, parts and materials manufacturers, data infrastructure and providers, SIers, and user companies, can gather, meet companies with challenges and companies with solutions, and co-create. Boostec will promote this project as a key partner responsible for organizing challenges and specifying needs from the perspective of manufacturing user companies within this ecosystem.

Furthermore, the technical validation of robots, AI models, and data for the tasks and challenges of manufacturing user companies will be conducted in cooperation with TRON Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, President: Kei Washijima), a physical AI integrator.

Future information will be released on this site: Physical AI by STATION Ai (https://stationai.co.jp/physicalai)

Representative's Comment

Natsuo Nagai (Monozukuri Taro), Representative Director, Boostec Inc.

"I have been involved in the manufacturing industry for over 10 years. Even after starting information dissemination through YouTube, I visit factories across the country multiple times a month and witness the realities of dozens of sites. Productivity varies greatly from factory to factory; some sites are constantly evolving into resilient organizations through improvement, while many others remain stuck in the Showa era.

Japan is a country where manufacturing accounts for about 20% of its GDP and more than half of its annual export value is related to manufacturing. If the competitiveness of the manufacturing industry weakens, our ability to earn foreign currency will decline, potentially shaking the very foundation of our national life. That is precisely why we have set a vision of 'Towards a country that can win in manufacturing even in 2100' and have made it our mission to deliver optimal solutions to the field. Among these, I am convinced that physical AI is one of the most important technologies to transform sites that have stopped in the Showa era.

I am deeply honored to participate in building this ecosystem with STATION Ai. I have entered more manufacturing sites than anyone else and have faced the challenges of each site. I will leverage this experience to play a discerning role in accurately connecting on-site challenges with AI and robot technology. Because I love manufacturing, I will spread successful examples of physical AI implementation from the Tokai region nationwide to make it an industry where young Japanese people can work with pride."

Future Developments

Boostec will continue to deepen its collaboration with manufacturing companies in the Aichi and Tokai regions and accelerate preparations for the operational launch of STATION Ai Data Foundry in December 2026. The company will contribute to the creation of physical AI implementation case studies by prioritizing the identification of high-ROI tasks for common manufacturing challenges such as assembly, picking, inspection, and parts conveyance.

In the future, Boostec aims to expand the knowledge and know-how gained through initiatives in the Tokai region to manufacturing industries nationwide, contributing to the creation of a physical AI industry originating in Japan. Boostec will work to strengthen the competitiveness of the manufacturing industry and accelerate the implementation of physical AI, while fulfilling its role as a discerning entity connecting on-site challenges with cutting-edge technology.

About STATION Ai Inc.

STATION Ai is one of Japan's largest open innovation hubs located in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture. It brings together startups, corporations, universities, local governments, and financial institutions to provide programs, events, matching services, and open innovation support for new business creation and business growth. By connecting the industrial base of Aichi Prefecture and the Tokai region with the technologies and business ideas of startups, it promotes the creation of new businesses and the advancement of industry.

About TRON Inc.

TRON Inc. is a startup engaged in data collection, robot AI model development, and robot implementation in the physical AI domain. In this initiative, the company will drive the project from a technical perspective, focusing on the collection and processing of worker multimodal data, integration with robot data, and model verification.

About Boostec Inc.

Boostec Inc. is a company dedicated to updating Japan's core manufacturing industry, with the mission of "Making manufacturing, the backbone of Japan, a job that everyone envies." Starting with information dissemination through the YouTube channel "Monozukuri Taro" (over 370,000 subscribers), which specializes in manufacturing, the company offers a diverse range of on-site-rooted services, including factory analysis and operational support, PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) implementation support, exhibition marketing analysis, and web marketing support.

Natsuo Nagai (Monozukuri Taro), the representative, has been involved in the manufacturing industry for over 10 years. In parallel with his YouTube activities, he has personally visited and analyzed factories across Japan. He has been involved in structuring on-site challenges related to productivity improvement, automation, and quality improvement at hundreds of manufacturing sites.

Location: 288 Takaraga-oka, Meito-ku, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture Representative: Natsuo Nagai Established: March 15, 2024 URL: https://boostbytechnology.com/

Inquiries regarding this matter

Boostec Inc. Contact: Nagai E-mail: monozukuritarou@moriagetai.jp