On April 24, Bloomberg reported that SoftBank Group’s mobile communications unit is planning to make an ambitious attempt. plans to transform part of its Osaka factory into one of Japan’s largest large-scale battery production lines to power its own AI data center.
Note: Masayoshi Son
According to people familiar with the matter, SoftBank aims to put the production line into production within the next five years. SoftBank executives considered using the Sakai factory for a variety of uses, including robot manufacturing, before ultimately deciding to move into the energy sector.
SoftBank, led by Masayoshi Son, is one of the world’s strongest supporters of AI and has pledged hundreds of billions of dollars to invest in data centers, cloud services, and startups such as OpenAI. Son has established partnerships with various companies and promoted infrastructure projects through the domestic mobile communications unit to strengthen his AI vision.
SoftBank CEO Junichi Miyakawa is expected to announce the battery project when he unveils his new five-year business plan next month, people familiar with the matter said. Although the details of the plan are still being finalized, Son has given his approval to the initiative. The decision is subject to approval by SoftBank's board of directors.
As of press time, SoftBank has not commented on this.