- Headquarters
- Tokyo, Japan · East Asia
- Value chain
- Professional & data services(Systems & services); also Hardware & devices
- What that means
- Sells expertise and data: consulting, engineering and security services, data and analytics, testing and certification.
- Founded
- 1899
- Staff
- 105,000 (2024)
- Ownership
- Listed
- Listing
- TSE:6701 on Google Finance
- Website
- nec.com
- Relevance
- High at its strongest, in Quantum Communication
Tokyo, JapanIn 13 capabilities
Each capability the company is listed in, most relevant first: how experts in the field see its global relevance there, why it is listed and the source.
Quantum Technologies · Manufacture · listed #5 of 50
Long-standing QKD system developer and a major patent holder; with NICT it built the Tokyo QKD Network and supplies QKD equipment for Japanese government links.
Relevance: Long-standing QKD developer behind Tokyo QKD Network
Connectivity, Cyber & Trust Technologies · Integration · listed #14 of 50
Its face and fingerprint recognition engines rank at the top of NIST benchmarks and underpin national ID, border and India's Aadhaar biometric systems; it is a top-five patent applicant in this capability.
Relevance: Top-ranked face and fingerprint recognition engines
- Acoustic & Undersea SensingModerate
Sensing, Timing & Navigation · Manufacture · listed #15 of 50
Principal supplier of submarine and surface-ship sonar systems to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and builder of undersea cable-based acoustic sensing.
Relevance: Principal Japanese naval sonar supplier
- Advanced Wireless CommunicationModerate
Connectivity, Cyber & Trust Technologies · Manufacture · listed #21 of 50
Supplies Open RAN radio units and 5G core for operators in Japan and Europe, plus microwave backhaul and 6G research.
Relevance: Open RAN and 5G core supplier, modest share
- Applied AI & Advanced AnalyticsModerate
Artificial Intelligence · Software & services · listed #22 of 50
The third-largest patent applicant in this capability, with biometric and video analytics and its cotomi model deployed in public safety and government systems.
Relevance: Strong biometric and video analytics with patents; global niche.
- Post-Quantum CryptographyModerate
Quantum Technologies · Research · listed #26 of 50
NEC is a top-10 international PQC patent applicant that researches lattice cryptography and lightweight PQC and supplies quantum-safe communications to Japanese government users.
Relevance: PQC patents and lattice research
Connectivity, Cyber & Trust Technologies · Integration · listed #26 of 50
One of the three global submarine-cable system suppliers and a developer of optical transmission; fifth-largest international patent applicant here.
Relevance: One of three submarine-cable system suppliers
Space Technologies · Manufacture · listed #27 of 50
Builds Japanese government observation satellites (ASNARO, Information Gathering Satellite components), the Hayabusa probes and optical inter-satellite links.
Relevance: Japanese government satellite builder
Artificial Intelligence · Research · listed #23 of 50
The second-largest international patent filer here; it researches adversarial-attack defences and LLM hallucination detection for the cotomi models.
Relevance: Patent-heavy adversarial research; limited field influence.
Sensing, Timing & Navigation · Design · listed #27 of 50
Supplies J/FPS-3 and J/FPS-7 air-defence radars, OPS-series naval radars and air-traffic control radars in Japan.
Relevance: Japanese air-defence radar supplier; domestic
Connectivity, Cyber & Trust Technologies · Manufacture · listed #29 of 50
Supplies Japan Self-Defense Forces tactical and wireless mesh communications and is one of the world's top three undersea communication system builders.
Relevance: Japanese defence communications, domestic focus
Semiconductors & Advanced Computing · Integration · listed #32 of 50
Long-standing vector supercomputer maker (Earth Simulator, SX-Aurora TSUBASA) and HPC system integrator for Japanese and European centres.
Relevance: Vector supercomputer niche
Artificial Intelligence · Research · listed #33 of 50
Builds the cotomi Japanese large language models and is a top-ten international ML patent applicant.
Relevance: cotomi Japanese LLMs; mainly domestic relevance.