JRP and Persol Cross Technology Conclude Partnership Agreement - Aiming for Continuous Development of Digital Talent in the Mobility Industry Through App Development

Japan Race Promotion Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Yoshihisa Ueno; hereinafter "JRP"), which operates the All-Japan Super Formula Championship (hereinafter "SUPER FORMULA"), Japan's premier motorsport, has concluded a partnership agreement with Persol Cross Technology Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Shinji Masaki; hereinafter "Persol Cross Technology").

This partnership agreement aims to foster excellent digital talent for the mobility industry, with Persol Cross Technology providing development support for "SFgo," the official SUPER FORMULA app offered by JRP.

https://superformula.net/sfgo/ja/

Current Initiatives of Both Companies: Development Cooperation for SUPER FORMULA Official App "SFgo"

"SFgo," provided by JRP, is an official app that allows users to enjoy SUPER FORMULA more deeply. Moving forward, "SFgo" aims to become "Asia's largest digital entertainment in motorsport," and plans to further enhance features that allow multi-faceted enjoyment of Japan's premier race, such as viewing experiences incorporating AR/VR and race analysis using AI.

In the recent mobility industry, with the spread of SDV*, there is a growing demand for engineers with expertise in broad areas such as vehicle data and cloud. Through the development of "SFgo," we will create opportunities for talents who can meet industry needs, including providing practical opportunities to experience future technological environments such as AI-driven development approaches, and promote digital talent development.

* Software Defined Vehicle, a vehicle defined by software

Comment from Naoki Okubo, Head of IT Engineering Division, Persol Cross Technology Co., Ltd.

"Persol Cross Technology has over 10,000 engineers, supporting a wide variety of projects in manufacturing, including automotive, aerospace, home appliances, and robotics development, as well as IT, including DX promotion, application development, and system maintenance, through various forms such as contracting and technical dispatch.

Among these, we have accumulated extensive achievements in the automotive industry, engaging in advanced development using actual equipment and IT, such as retrofitting commercial vehicles, agricultural and construction machinery, and passenger cars for autonomous driving and electrification. In this project, we plan to actively adopt AI-driven development approaches, without being limited by past achievements. We aim to strengthen development capabilities adapted to AI-native technological environments and create new value that shapes the future of SIers.

By working hand-in-hand with JRP, we will leverage our excellent knowledge and extensive experience in engineering and IT development to promote the development of next-generation digital talent, thereby contributing to the advancement of the mobility industry and the promotion of motorsport."

Comment from Sota Mina, SFgo 2.0 Project Manager, Japan Race Promotion Co., Ltd.

"'SFgo' is one of the core themes of the 'SF NEXT50' project, which aims to create a sustainable motorsport industry. Initially, 'SFgo' was positioned as a DX theme for motorsport, but we are pleased to be able to contribute to the mobility industry from a talent development perspective through this partnership with Persol Cross Technology. In the mobility industry, where SDV and autonomous vehicles are rapidly developing, the demand for engineers with broad knowledge, from in-car devices and vehicle data to applications, is sharply increasing. We intend to continue expanding initiatives to utilize 'SFgo' as a platform for developing such digital talent.

In parallel with providing new viewing experiences for motorsport fans, 'SFgo' will continue to contribute to solving such challenges in the automotive industry."

■ About Japan Race Promotion Co., Ltd. (JRP)

< https://superformula.net/sf3/about_jrp/ >

JRP operates the All-Japan Super Formula Championship (SUPER FORMULA), Japan's premier and fastest formula car race series. In 2022, the "SUPER FORMULA NEXT50" project was launched with the aim of creating a sustainable motorsport industry, developing various initiatives towards carbon neutrality and the digitalization of motorsport.

■ About Persol Cross Technology Co., Ltd.

< https://persol-xtech.co.jp/ >

At Persol Cross Technology Co., Ltd., engineers with specialized skills provide technical support to clients across all industries in manufacturing fields such as automotive, aerospace, industrial machinery, home appliances, and robotics; in IT fields offering comprehensive solutions from consulting to design and development; and in security fields including diagnosis, operation, and IoT. We aim to solve social issues by transforming the way people and organizations work with the power of "cutting-edge technology."