Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (TYO:7011) and Preferred Networks (PFN) have agreed to co-develop advanced AI technologies to boost the intelligence and autonomy of mission-critical systems, especially in Japan's social infrastructure and national security sectors.

The partnership seeks to enable real-time situational assessment and response through autonomous AI, bolstering safety and resilience, according to a statement on Tuesday.

The collaboration will combine Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' engineering strengths with PFN's AI foundation models to drive autonomous operations, predictive maintenance, and rapid crisis management.

Depending on progress, the companies aim to finalize a capital and business alliance by fiscal 2026 to accelerate long-term R&D and commercialization.