Hitachi Vantara Co., Ltd. has launched the domestic sales of “Hitachi iQ Studio,” which supports the development and operation of AI agents. The background is the expansion of generative AI’s applications from personal operational efficiency to core corporate operations, demanding advanced reliability and data management.

June 30, 2026: Entering a New Phase of AI Operations

Hitachi Vantara Co., Ltd., a group company of Hitachi, Ltd., began selling “Hitachi iQ Studio” in Japan on June 30, 2026, as a new lineup of the AI integration platform “Hitachi iQ” to accelerate AI application in corporate strategy development and process reform. Until now, AI utilization has often limited itself to streamlining routine tasks at the specific department or individual level, but with the launch of this new product, it has become realistic to implement AI at deeper levels such as corporate decision-making and core systems.

Specifically, it will be offered through direct sales channels provided by Hitachi Vantara and through domestic sales partners. Hitachi iQ is a stacked product that vertically integrates NVIDIA’s GPU servers, high-reliability storage, and AI software, and has been deployed since fiscal year 2024. With the addition of Studio this time, a comprehensive software environment supporting AI agents in “development, operation, and data utilization” is now in place, not just providing infrastructure. This enables companies to implement AI in business systems in a short period without spending time on complex system designs. Please refer to the diagram below.

Building a company’s “decision broker” in-house

The biggest feature of Hitachi iQ Studio is its support for developing “AI agents” that utilize company-specific data. An AI agent refers to AI that not only responds to instructions but also autonomously performs reasoning and task execution toward specific goals. In core corporate operations, such as supply chain optimization, complex customer interactions, and strategic simulation, embedding confidential information and know-how that general-purpose AI cannot handle is indispensable.

Hitachi iQ Studio provides an environment that securely manages and protects highly sensitive corporate data while quickly applying it to actual business processes. In particular, it comes standard with a “data pipeline” that converts unstructured data such as images and audio into understandable formats, enabling the company to utilize diverse internal assets for AI training and inference. This marks a crucial step in elevating AI from a mere tool into an intelligent partner that acts on behalf of and supports corporate operations.

[Technical Breakthroughs] Strong collaboration with NVIDIA

A foundation integrated with NVIDIA’s latest AI stack

The technical backbone of Hitachi iQ Studio is built on deep collaboration with NVIDIA, the global leader in AI computing. This platform is based on the reference design of the NVIDIA AI Data Platform and delivers cutting-edge AI software in an optimized state. Specifically, it supports open software such as the “NVIDIA Agent Toolkit,” specialized for AI agent development, and the advanced large language model (LLM) “NVIDIA Nemotron.”

The partnership between Hitachi and NVIDIA began in March 2023 when Hitachi’s President Tokunaga met directly with Jensen Huang, and since then, joint development has progressed toward AI applications in social infrastructure sectors such as railways and energy. Hitachi iQ Studio is a product that packages this global-level cutting-edge knowledge, making it easily accessible to Japanese companies. By combining NVIDIA’s computing power with Hitachi’s domain knowledge, we have established a foundation that processes vast amounts of data in real time and leads to solid business outcomes.

A no-code and low-code environment that democratizes development

One of the major barriers to AI adoption was the shortage of personnel with specialized programming skills. With a forecast of about 800,000 IT personnel shortages in Japan by 2030, an environment where non-IT staff can utilize AI has become an essential requirement. Hitachi iQ Studio addresses this challenge with the philosophy of “democratizing development,” providing a no-code and low-code development environment.

This enables even business staff without deep programming knowledge to intuitively define AI agent behavior or integrate AI into existing business processes. This means that those who know the workplace best will nurture AI themselves, accelerating the deployment of highly effective AI utilization tailored to on-site needs. By lowering the technical hurdle of building complex AI models, the speed of AI adoption across enterprises is expected to improve dramatically. Please refer to the diagram below.

[Guaranteeing Trust] Accountability essential for core operations

Traceability that lets you trace back to “why the answer was found”

When adopting AI in core corporate operations and social infrastructure, such as finance, power, and railways, the most important factor is “accountability.” If you cannot explain what data was based on the conclusions AI has reached and what knowledge you made at what point in time, you cannot use AI for critical decision-making. To enhance this “AI explainability,” Hitachi iQ Studio has incorporated proprietary traceability features.

Specifically, it is integrated with Hitachi Vantara’s long-cultivated storage technology, the “Snapshot version control function.” When AI performs inference, it is possible to accurately identify and verify the state of the data referenced at that moment retroactively. This enables thorough management of the underlying data even if AI behavior changes over time, supporting continuous improvement in AI accuracy and stability, as well as advanced governance such as responding to external audits. Even in mission-critical domains, we have established an environment where AI can be utilized with confidence.

High reliability cultivated through financial and public infrastructure

For over 50 years, Hitachi Vantara has supported the data foundation of social infrastructure and financial systems that cannot be stopped. In fact, in Japan’s 2025 external block storage market, it has secured the number one vendor sales share, and its reliability is highly regarded by the market. Customers with strict reliability requirements, such as Mizuho Bank and China Electric Power, have recognized the company’s storage infrastructure for high availability and security.

Hitachi iQ Studio is designed to operate on this proven, highly reliable data platform. It not only performs high-speed AI computations but also combines robust infrastructure quality required by enterprise companies for data protection, ransomware protection, and resilience during disasters. While many solutions have emerged amid the AI boom, Hitachi’s strength lies in its solid reliability, backed by the fusion of IT and OT (control technology) expertise that has continuously supported these “frontlines” and “core areas.”

[Management & Strategy Background] Data Sovereignty and Acceleration of Lumada

Responding to the growing ‘Sovereign AI’ both domestically and internationally

In recent years, against the backdrop of strengthened economic security and the increasing risk of cyberattacks, the importance of “sovereignty”—the ability to secure sovereignty over one’s own data and AI—has rapidly increased. While many companies are advancing AI use in public clouds, it is also true that they feel the risks of sending highly sensitive critical data outside their organizations. Hitachi iQ Studio enables secure data management in cloud-independent “on-premises” or “hybrid cloud” environments.

President Shimada of Hitachi Vantara emphasizes the importance of strengthening data sovereignty and focuses on providing solutions that balance on-premises performance with operational flexibility. In particular, by establishing an environment that enables high-speed processing of large-scale AI models—such as those equipped with the latest NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra generation GPUs—we prevent data leaks externally while enabling cutting-edge AI development. This provides realistic AI utilization options for highly regulated industries and organizations responsible for critical infrastructure.

“HMAX by Hitachi” promoted by One Hitachi

The introduction of Hitachi iQ Studio is part of Hitachi’s company-wide digital transformation (DX) strategy. Hitachi is currently rolling out the next-generation solution suite “HMAX by Hitachi,” which innovates social infrastructure with AI across a wide range of fields such as railways, energy, and industry. Hitachi iQ serves as a robust data foundation supporting this HMAX.

Organizational restructuring is also underway, and in April 2024, we transferred the domestic IT products business to Hitachi Vantara Co., Ltd., establishing a system for integrated operation with Hitachi Vantara LLC in the United States. This enables us to advance engineering, development, and manufacturing in a joint manner between Japan and the U.S., accelerating the speed to market entry. By combining Hitachi’s deep domain knowledge (field expertise) in each business domain with Hitachi Vantara’s digital technologies, we aim to solidify our position as a partner in “social innovation,” going beyond just an IT vendor. Please refer to the diagram below.

[Future Outlook] A New Dimension of Business Opened by AI Agents

Training AI professionals for 2030

Under a new management plan called “Inspire 2027,” Hitachi has set an ambitious plan to invest 300 billion yen across the group in generative AI and train 50,000 AI professionals. This massive investment and talent development efforts will serve as engines to further accelerate the growth of Lumada’s business. Hitachi iQ Studio is an important product that leverages advanced in-house AI expertise and development environments as solutions for customers.

Additionally, by applying generative AI internally to coding and overall system development, we aim to improve efficiency by about 30%, and the knowledge gained from this will be gradually reflected in platforms like Hitachi iQ Studio. Looking ahead, we are envisioning an ‘AI agent society’ where AI goes beyond mere auxiliary roles and autonomously monitors and optimizes business processes, and Hitachi aims to take the lead as an infrastructure provider within this framework. Hitachi’s commitment to solving the social issue of labor shortages through AI technology is embodied in this product.

Sustainable growth and strengthening global competitiveness

The future focus will be on how much this highly trusted AI platform can expand its share in the global market. Leveraging its high market share in storage, Hitachi Vantara continues to differentiate itself from competitors by providing high-performance, low-power infrastructure optimized for AI workloads. For example, by introducing liquid cooling models, we are strengthening efforts to balance environmental impact reduction (green) and AI evolution, such as reducing power consumption by up to 40% compared to air-cooled models.

As companies shift from “experimentation” to “production,” reliability, security, and optimization of operational costs become key factors in their selection. A strong alliance with NVIDIA, trust as the number one domestic market share, and the newly announced development support environment with Studio. By combining these into a three-dimensional system, Hitachi Vantara will solve the AI application challenges faced by companies both domestically and internationally, strongly supporting sustainable business growth.

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