Hitachi, Ltd., The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and NTT DATA, a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI), digital business and technology services, have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a strategic partnership aimed at expanding Green Transformation (GX) business in Australia.
As Australia pursues a 43% reduction in CO₂ emissions by 2030, large companies now face increasing pressure under the Australian government’s Safeguard Mechanism to provide transparent, verifiable ESG data to reduce emissions.
The demand for practical digital solutions to manage energy consumption has become a priority for the commercial building sector.
Under this MoU, the UTS campus will be used as a Living Laboratory, where industry, academia, government and citizens co-create new technologies and services, gathering feedback from users within an environment where services and products are used.
This Living Laboratory will serve as a real-world environment for the development, value verification and commercialisation of advanced GX solutions.
The parties aim to establish a scalable proving ground for decarbonisation that can be effectively implemented across the Australian market.
The first initiative under this MoU is the Australian localisation of Hitachi’s ESG data management solution, EcoAssist-Enterprise.
Unlike generic monitoring tools, EcoAssist-Enterprise is being adapted to align with Australia’s stringent environmental frameworks, including the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS).
Initial value verification conducted across multiple UTS buildings has confirmed the solution’s applicability in visualising and managing energy consumption within the Australian context. Following this success, the parties will expand the deployment at UTS before wider market rollout.
A key differentiator of this partnership is the integration of EcoAssist-Enterprise with NTT DATA’s AI-based air-conditioning optimisation solution, HUCAST, that uses AI to predict weather patterns and human occupancy flows, automatically adjusting air-conditioning systems in real-time.
This approach ensures that energy efficiency does not come at the cost of occupant comfort, representing a significant leap in Smart Building technology for the region.
Future Developments
Beyond the commercial building sector, Hitachi, UTS and NTT DATA intend to leverage the insights gained from this Living Laboratory to expand GX solutions into other industries.
The partnership underscores a shared commitment to positively impact society through responsible innovation. It will accelerate the realisation of a sustainable society in Australia.
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