Japan to tap AI to speed up materials development 10-fold

Artificial intelligenceTrade ministry aims to launch data-sharing platform in fiscal 2027The use of AI to discover new chemical compositions is gaining traction in the materials industry. (Nikkei illustration)KENTA SHIMAIAugust 25, 2026 00:22 JSTTOKYO -- The Japanese government is moving forward with plans to create a platform that accelerates new materials development by a factor of 10 through using artificial intelligence to analyze data shared by manufacturers, Nikkei has learned.Read NextEconomyJapan aims to ignite 'animal spirits' with $2.3tn planBusiness AsiaJapan puts startup ambitions at center of $2.3tn tech strategyInterviewJapan chip startup targets AI boom as industry focus turns to materialsArtificial intelligenceJapan targets $65bn in public-private physical AI investment by