- Hitachi Vantara's Norman, Oklahoma, U.S. advanced storage manufacturing site newly selected as a "Lighthouse" in recognition of the results achieved through AI-driven utilization as part of Hitachi's Customer Zero initiative
- Hitachi will further enhance HMAX by drawing on cutting-edge AI expertise and technologies developed through its in-house operations, and accelerate AI Transformation, across the Hitachi Group and for customers
SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE:6501, "Hitachi") and Hitachi Vantara LLC ("Hitachi Vantara"), a Hitachi Group company, announced that Hitachi Vantara's storage manufacturing facility in Norman, Oklahoma, United States, has been selected by the World Economic Forum ("WEF") as one of its "Lighthouse" facilities—the world's most advanced factories leading the Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, utilizing technologies such as AI and robotics. This marks the second Hitachi Group's site to receive this recognition, following Hitachi's Omika Works *1, which was designated a "Lighthouse" in 2020.
The Norman facility serves as an end-to-end digital manufacturing and supply chain hub, producing advanced data infrastructure that supports AI-driven business transformation. The facility has comprehensively deployed AI across its operations. By applying Agentic AI to global demand forecasting and inventory management, the facility achieved a 77% reduction in lead time from order receipt to shipment and a 50% reduction in inventory. This selection was based on recognition of the facility's comprehensive initiatives, including the establishment of a resilient supply chain leveraging AI which has enabled it to respond immediately to demand fluctuations and help significantly reduce COâ‚‚ emissions.
By incorporating the cutting-edge AI technologies and insights gained through these in-house practices pursued by positioning our company as "Customer Zero", Hitachi will drive the further advancement of HMAX by Hitachi, a next-generation suite of AI-powered solutions that brings the power of AI to social infrastructure, and accelerate the AI Transformation("AX") of the Hitachi Group and our customers. Going forward, Hitachi will expand these initiatives gained at the Norman facility to global production sites such as Hitachi Rail, drive AX in the OT (Operational Technology) domain as One Hitachi, and pursue a spiral-up approach to strengthen HMAX with proven technologies and use cases derived from real-world practice.
Hitachi is committed to strengthening and delivering HMAX through "One Hitachi". By accelerating AX at customer field across a broad range of industries worldwide, Hitachi will contribute to sustainable business growth through enhanced sustainability, productivity, and resilience.
*1 Hitachi's press release issued on January 10, 2020: Hitachi's Omika Works Recognized as an "Advanced 4th Industrial Revolution Lighthouse" by the World Economic Forum
Background
The Global Lighthouse Network is a WEF initiative recognizing best-in-class operational sites and value chains that have achieved exceptional performance in productivity, supply chain resilience, customer centricity, sustainability and talent. Since Hitachi's Omika Works was selected as a "Lighthouse" in 2020—the first Japanese company to receive this distinction—Hitachi has positioned the site as a factory showcasing Hitachi's Lumada and has been accelerating global efforts to deploy the cutting-edge digital technologies cultivated on-site both within and outside the Group.
Today, demand for data infrastructure that supports corporate business transformation is rapidly increasing, driven by the rapid proliferation of AI and other factors. At the Norman site in the United States, we manufacture highly reliable storage solutions like Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform One (VSP One), a storage solution that delivers a foundation for AI-ready infrastructure. The facility was grappling with challenges such as improving decision-making speed and optimizing resource allocation to swiftly respond to a complex product lineup comprising approximately 3,000 variants attributed to global shifts in demand and increasingly customized customer requirements. Consequently, the two companies collaborated to introduce cutting-edge AI and digital technologies at this site. Moving beyond data utilization to include autonomous AI-driven decision-making and control, they promoted end-to-end supply chain transformation from order receipt to shipment, positioning the site as a "Customer Zero" showcase of HMAX Industry.
Specific Initiatives
- AI-Driven Demand Forecasting and Optimization of Management Processes
By leveraging AI, Hitachi and Hitachi Vantara have optimized the entire process seamlessly from customer touchpoints to back-end planning. First, AI uses business meeting data from the system to forecast monthly demand, improving demand forecast accuracy by approximately 19%. In addition, for requests for proposals received by sales representatives, AI automatically generates draft responses based on technical information and past proposal content, reducing response time to customers by approximately 26%. As a result, the company can respond swiftly to rapidly changing market environments and meet customers' sophisticated needs promptly. - Optimization of the Entire Global Supply Chain
The Norman site established a "Global Inventory Control Tower" that consolidates inventory and supplier information from sites around the world into a single dashboard. By using AI to calculate the optimal safety stock level for each part, the site has succeeded in reducing global inventory by approximately 50% while mitigating the risk of stockouts. This has helped improve cash flow and minimize inventory assets. - Realizing Autonomous Manufacturing Operations with AI
On the manufacturing floor, the Norman site promoted autonomous operations utilizing Agentic AI. Agentic AI automates the configuration setup of complex software, which varies by customer, by retrieving and integrating information from multiple systems. As a result, the site achieved a dramatic 84% reduction in the lead time for configure-to-order production. In addition, the "Real-Time Work Navigator" detects and corrects deviations from standard work procedures in real time using digital work instructions and image recognition powered by AI Vision. These initiatives have reduced training time for new workers by 80%, enabling both high-quality manufacturing and flexible workforce allocation.
Comment from Kiva Allgood, Managing Director at the World Economic Forum (WEF)
"The world's leading manufacturers are no longer optimizing individual processes; they are reimagining entire operating systems. The newest Lighthouse sites show how intelligence is becoming embedded into the fabric of operations, enabling organizations to respond faster, learn continuously and unlock new levels of performance across their value chains."
Comment from Jun Abe, Executive Vice President, Head of Digital Systems & Services Sector, Hitachi
"I am extremely proud that the Norman site has been selected as a WEF "Lighthouse", following the selection of Omika Works in 2020. Under a true One Hitachi approach, we have positioned our own manufacturing sites as Customer Zero and have been driving transformation through the comprehensive use of AI. The results achieved at the Norman site using Agentic AI are a practical example that is unique to Hitachi, combining our strengths in IT, OT and products. Going forward, we will provide the expertise and use cases gained through this initiative to customers around the world through HMAX, contributing to enhanced resilience and sustainable growth across industry as a whole."
Comment from Akinobu Shimada, CEO of Hitachi Vantara and President of Hitachi Vantara Japan
"As AI accelerates business around the world, robust data infrastructure to support it has become more important than ever. We are honored that the World Economic Forum has recognized the end-to-end supply chain transformation we achieved at Hitachi Vantara's flagship manufacturing site. By applying cutting-edge AI technologies and embedding the expertise gained through this transformation into our solutions, including the VSP One data platform and Hitachi iQ, we are helping our customers accelerate innovation, strengthen data resilience, and gain the most value from their data across their hybrid cloud environments."
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About the Global Lighthouse Network
The Global Lighthouse Network is a World Economic Forum initiative recognizing best-in-class operational sites and value chains that have achieved exceptional performance in productivity, supply chain resilience, customer centricity, sustainability and talent. The initiative is counseled by an advisory board of industry leaders who are working together to shape the future of global manufacturing. The advisory board includes Aramco, Foxconn Industrial Internet, Koç Holding, McKinsey & Company, Schneider Electric, Siemens, and Tata Steel. Sites and value chains that join the network are designated by an independent panel of experts. The next round of applications to join the Global Lighthouse Network will open in November 2026.
About Hitachi, Ltd.
Through its Social Innovation Business (SIB) that brings together IT, OT(Operational Technology) and products, Hitachi aims to be a global leader in continuously transforming social infrastructure through digital, contributing to a harmonized society where the environment, wellbeing, and economic growth are in balance. Hitachi operates worldwide across four sectors – Digital Systems & Services, Energy, Mobility, and Connective Industries – as well as a Strategic SIB Business Unit focused on new growth areas. With Lumada at its core, Hitachi creates value by combining data, technology and domain knowledge to solve customer and social challenges. Revenues for FY2025 (ended March 31, 2026) totaled 10,586.7 billion yen, with 606 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 290,000 employees worldwide. Visit us at www.hitachi.com.
About Hitachi Vantara
Hitachi Vantara is transforming the way data fuels innovation. A wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd., Hitachi Vantara provides the data foundation the world's leading innovators rely on. Through data storage, infrastructure systems, cloud management and digital expertise, the company helps customers build the foundation for sustainable business growth. To learn more, visit www.hitachivantara.com.
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