Over 3,800 Registered Participants! Event Featuring Key Figures from Manufacturing and Tech Companies Concludes: "Manufacturing AI Implementation Forum 2026" Report

Stockmark Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Toru Hayashi; hereinafter "our company"), a provider of proprietary domestic generative AI platforms and generative AI services, held the online forum "Manufacturing AI Implementation Forum 2026 ~The Forefront of AI Implementation Supporting Japan's Manufacturing~" on June 29, 2026 (Mon), specializing in AI implementation and utilization in the manufacturing industry.

The forum received significant attention from the time registration opened, with over 3,800 registered participants. Key figures from leading domestic manufacturing and tech companies took the stage, and the event concluded with great success. A limited-time free archive stream of some sessions is now available. If you were unable to attend on the day, please take this opportunity to register.

▼"Manufacturing AI Implementation Forum 2026" Click here to watch the archive video: https://sat.stockmark.co.jp/seminar/AI-forum-2026/

Background of "Manufacturing AI Implementation Forum 2026"

The reason for the overwhelming response from the start of registration and the final gathering of 3,800 participants lies in the high level of urgency and expectation surrounding the challenge faced by the entire Japanese manufacturing industry: "How to integrate generative AI into actual business operations."

The generative AI trend has completely shifted from the Proof of Concept (PoC) phase to the "implementation" phase, where it is reliably integrated into actual business operations. While Japan's manufacturing industry boasts world-class quality, the severe challenges of high workloads on the shop floor due to rapid market changes and the "personalization" of expertise by skilled workers can no longer be overlooked.

What is currently needed on the ground is not just partial efficiency improvement. It is about how to convert the "tacit knowledge" held by skilled workers into organizational "explicit knowledge" and, through AI implementation, create a "foundation that allows humans to tackle new challenges."

It is precisely because this forum addressed the pressing current theme in AI utilization for manufacturing, "AI Implementation Beyond Proof of Concept," that it resonated with decision-makers and front-line leaders from many companies, attracting such strong interest on a scale of 3,800 participants.

On the day, we presented the "current status" and "winning strategies" for further strengthening Japan's manufacturing capabilities from multifaceted perspectives of management, operations, and technology, covering data strategy, organizational design, redesigning business processes with AI in mind (AIBPR), and even "Physical AI" that drives the physical world.

Event Overview

Event Name: Manufacturing AI Implementation Forum 2026 ~The Forefront of AI Implementation Supporting Japan's Manufacturing~

Date and Time: June 29, 2026 (Mon)

Format: Online

Participation Fee: Free (Pre-registration required)

Number of Participants: Over 3,800

Organizer: Stockmark Inc.

Event Site: https://stockmark.co.jp/ai-forum-2026/

Session Reports (Total 8 Sessions)

Keynote Speech 09:00-09:40 What are the Winning Strategies Remaining for Japanese Manufacturing in the AI Era? ~Strengths to Hone and Structures to Change Now~

[Speakers]

Mr. Tatsuo Ogawa (Executive Officer, Group CTO, Panasonic Holdings Corporation)

Mr. Toshikazu Okaya (Director-General, Minister's Secretariat, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; AI Policy General Coordinator, Minister's Secretariat)

[Summary]

The evolution of AI is fundamentally changing the rules of competition. Amidst the commoditization of technologies and know-how that were previously advantageous, a discussion was held on the areas that Japanese manufacturing should refine as its "unique strengths" and the structures that need to be transformed.

AI Trend Lecture 09:45-10:15 The Forefront of AI Utilization in Manufacturing ~Company Initiatives & What's Missing Now~

[Speaker]

Toru Hayashi (CEO, Stockmark Inc.)

[Summary]

From a unique perspective gained from supporting the implementation of generative AI and LLMs in numerous manufacturing sites, this session organizes the current reality of AI utilization, the bottlenecks hindering its penetration into the field, and prescriptions to overcome them.

Company Case Study Lecture 10:20-10:50 How to Transition to AI Capital Management ~Data Strategy and How to Mobilize Organizations~

[Speaker]

Mr. Taro Shimada (President & CEO, Toshiba Corporation)

[Summary]

This session delves into practical knowledge from a management perspective, covering the overall picture of management and DX strategy to key points for on-site adoption. Future prospects for AI utilization were also discussed.

Company Case Study Lecture 10:55-11:20 Practice of AI-Ready Data Management Supporting Predictive Management

[Speaker]

Mr. Norihiko Nakabayashi (Executive Officer, Head of Company-Wide Digital Strategy, Lion Corporation)

[Summary]

Data environments are essential for making AI a powerful weapon. This session explained the practice of AI-Ready data management and organizational approaches for realizing predictive management.

Company Case Study Lecture 11:30-12:50 Accelerating Transformation into a "Global Specialty Company" through Mitsui Chemicals' DX and AI Implementation

[Speaker]

Mr. Masao Sannagi (Senior Managing Executive Officer, CDO, Head of Digital Transformation Promotion Division, Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.)

[Summary]

This session showcases AI implementation cases yielding results on the ground. It offers insights into the current reality of company-wide DX promotion and practical knowledge for translating AI utilization into true corporate transformation.

AIBPR Lecture 13:00-13:30 How to Redesign Operations with AI in Mind ~What is AI BPR that Determines the Success or Failure of AI Projects?~

[Speakers]

Mr. Takahiro Kubo (Senior Machine Learning Developer Relations, Amazon Web Services Japan LLC)

Genichi Nishimura (Product Manager, PaaS Business, Stockmark Inc.)

[Summary]

Transformation will not occur by simply "adding" AI to existing operations. This session discusses "AI BPR" (AI Business Process Re-engineering), which redesigns operations with optimal role allocation between AI and humans, incorporating challenges and on-site examples from the manufacturing industry.

AI Trend Lecture 13:35-14:05 The Potential of Physical AI ~Data and Systems Driving AI in the Physical World~

[Speaker]

Mr. Kazumasa Hirano (General Manager, Robotics Business Division, NVIDIA Corporation)

[Summary]

This lecture delves into the forefront of "Physical AI," which drives the physical world, including factories and robotics, not just the digital space. It introduced data and systems that support the next generation of manufacturing.

Tech Lecture 14:10-14:40 The Current State of AI Technology ~What is the Last Piece to Turn Cutting-Edge Intelligence into Japan's "Winning Strategy"?~

[Speakers]

Mr. Masaaki Fukuda (VP of Engineering, Head of Technology Planning Division, Preferred Networks, Inc.)

Mr. Kosuke Arima (Director and CTO, Stockmark Inc.)

[Summary]

Based on the current state of rapidly evolving cutting-edge AI technology, this session provides a technical overview of how to adapt it to the context of Japanese manufacturing and elevate it into unique competitive advantages (winning strategies).

▼"Manufacturing AI Implementation Forum 2026" Click here to watch the archive video: https://sat.stockmark.co.jp/seminar/AI-forum-2026/

About Stockmark's Solutions

AI utilization is an indispensable element for maintaining competitiveness. However, many companies face challenges such as "data is not properly organized," "adoption at the operational level is not progressing," and "it is not leading to concrete results."

Our company uses proprietary natural language processing technology to structure complex knowledge, including not only text but also drawings, specifications, and past decision logic, into a form that AI can utilize. This promotes "AI BPR (Business Process Re-engineering)" which goes beyond mere efficiency improvements to redesign business processes themselves, allowing people to focus on "value creation" and "refining expertise" where they should truly concentrate.

By having AI autonomously handle "simple tasks that create stagnation" and shifting humans to "high-value-added tasks," we aim to create a state where people can "genuinely enjoy their work" and thereby boost the competitiveness of Japanese companies.

・Stockmark Solutions: https://stockmark.co.jp/solution/

About Stockmark Inc.

Stockmark Inc. is driven by the mission to "reinvent the mechanism of value creation" and supports the corporate transformation of many companies by leveraging cutting-edge generative AI technology.

We operate "Aconnect," an AI agent for the manufacturing industry, and "SAT," which structures all types of data and turns it into corporate assets. Furthermore, we support the development of enterprise-specific generative AI and the construction of proprietary systems.

Company Name: Stockmark Inc.

Location: LIFORK MINAMI AOYAMA S209, 1-12-3 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Established: November 15, 2016

Representative: Toru Hayashi, Representative Director and CEO

Business Activities: Development and operation of services that support corporate knowledge management and the application of generative AI in business, utilizing cutting-edge generative AI technology.

URL: https://stockmark.co.jp/