Fujitsu Limited and IBM Japan, Ltd. today announced the formalization of a collaboration within the healthcare domain, building on considerations first announced in September 2025. To accelerate data integration, the two companies will promote the development of a sovereign cloud platform for medical use and the joint utilization of medical AI solutions.
The two companies will run their electronic health record solutions on Fujitsu’s sovereign cloud platform, enable data integration across multiple medical institutions, and facilitate the utilization of AI based on the needs of healthcare providers in Japan. This collaboration aims to provide healthcare institutions with a cloud-based medical information system option that ensures data sovereignty by allowing control over the technologies used within Japan, while also addressing structural challenges facing the healthcare industry and creating social value.
Expanding medical demand and limitations of the healthcare system
Japan's healthcare system faces increasing medical demand due to a rapidly aging society. Medical expenses continue to grow and now exceed 48 trillion yen annually. Meanwhile, the healthcare delivery system struggles with complex challenges such as the sustainability of social security funding, a decrease in medical personnel, and financial difficulties for medical institutions. Furthermore, the data necessary to drive advanced clinical research and development is still in the process of standardization and structuring, and has yet to be sufficiently integrated and effectively utilized.
To address these challenges, it is essential to unburden healthcare professionals from administrative and indirect tasks, enabling them to focus on clinical duties. Medical data must also be appropriately utilized across multiple institutions, with careful consideration of data sovereignty, security, and operational continuity. Combining their strengths, Fujitsu and IBM Japan will collaborate to provide effective solutions to healthcare providers.
Overview
The collaboration will promote the operational efficiency of medical institutions and enhance data utilization, while complementing the development of a platform for medical data utilization and medical DX (digital transformation) measures promoted by the Japanese government. Specifically, Fujitsu and IBM Japan will promote the following two initiatives:
1. Development of a sovereign cloud platform for medical use
Fujitsu and IBM Japan will develop a sovereign cloud platform for medical use. On this platform, Fujitsu’s sovereign cloud environment will serve as a common foundation for electronic health record solutions provided individually by Fujitsu and IBM Japan to be operated on. This will enable healthcare institutions to utilize cloud-based medical solutions with due consideration for data sovereignty and security.
2. Enhance medical operations through medical data utilization and AI
The two companies will mutually leverage their AI solutions for the healthcare industry. With the consent of medical institutions and patients, Fujitsu and IBM Japan will securely integrate and utilize data from multiple medical institutions in Japan. Leveraging AI, they will promote the efficiency of hospital operations and the enhancement of clinical support. Specific use cases include AI-powered support for creating medical documents such as clinical and nursing reports, and streamlining on-site operations such as DPC coding (classification work for medical fee claims based on diagnosis-related groups). In this way, the two companies aim to create an environment where healthcare professionals can focus on their primary duty of providing medical care.
In addition, the two companies are exploring - and have already started partially implementing - use cases to accelerate collaboration between healthcare and drug discovery and development, such as identifying patients suitable for clinical trials and improving the efficiency of clinical research. By advancing partnerships with multiple medical institutions, the companies aim to promote the on-demand, cross-institutional use of data from these organizations, ultimately enabling the provision of optimal clinical trial opportunities tailored to each individual patient.
The two companies will collaborate with medical institutions in Japan, including university hospitals and national centers, to validate use cases for healthcare data utilization and AI, and to advance their phased deployment.
Future plans
The two companies will consider integration and expansion with multiple medical information systems, and by collaborating with medical institutions, expand use cases for data and AI utilization, aiming to achieve both improved quality and efficiency in medical care. Moving forward, Fujitsu and IBM Japan will also consider realizing patient-centric healthcare services that cover everything from appointment booking to post-treatment follow-up.