Just 27 Centimeters Could Dramatically Reduce Power Consumption

Sep 07, 2026 | News On Japan

TOKYO - A new generation of optoelectronic integration technology developed over four decades by Japanese companies is moving closer to commercialization, offering a way to transmit huge volumes of data with low latency while sharply reducing the electricity consumed by data centers as artificial intelligence drives explosive growth in computing demand.

Known as optoelectronic integration, the technology replaces part of the electrical transmission traditionally used inside computing and communications equipment with optical signals.

Using light for data transmission makes it possible to move large amounts of information at high speed and with low latency while significantly reducing power consumption.

The technology is attracting growing attention as rapid advances in AI are expected to cause a major increase in electricity demand from data centers.

Japanese companies have been among the earliest developers of the technology, and after around 40 years of research and development, the industry says a path toward commercialization has finally become visible this year.

NTT Innovative Devices, which has played a leading role in developing optoelectronic integration, has been working with Shinko Electric Industries and Taiwan-based Accton on advanced equipment using the technology.

The companies have now developed cutting-edge equipment designed to demonstrate how optical connections can replace electrical transmission over even short distances inside data center hardware.

One of the latest devices measures just 27 centimeters, but the use of optical transmission over that distance can substantially reduce electricity consumption compared with conventional electrical connections.

The technology is being positioned as a potential solution to one of the biggest challenges facing the expansion of AI infrastructure: how to process and transmit rapidly growing volumes of data without allowing data center electricity consumption to rise at the same pace.

NTT Innovative Devices, Shinko Electric Industries and Accton are continuing joint development as they examine how optoelectronic integration can be deployed commercially and expanded across future data center and communications infrastructure.

The latest equipment has now been publicly shown on television for the first time, highlighting how a technology that spent decades in research laboratories is beginning to move toward practical business applications.

Source: テレ東BIZ

Typhoons No. 28 and 29 Bring High Waves to Japan's Pacific Coast

Two typhoons moving across the Pacific southeast of Japan are expected to remain well away from the Japanese mainland, but powerful swells could bring rough seas to a wide stretch of the country's Pacific coastline throughout the three-day holiday weekend, according to forecasts updated at 3 a.m. on October 10.

Cyberattacks Spread Across Japan

A series of cyberattacks has disrupted business operations and exposed millions of customer records across Japan, with a ransomware attack on a cloud service provider affecting 495 companies and local governments nationwide, while convenience store operator Lawson has disclosed a separate breach involving more than 2.15 million personal information records.

Japan's First 360-Degree Projection Mapping Opens in Osaka

Japan's first 360-degree projection mapping show will open at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts on October 10, transforming the historic building into an immersive world of light, music, and seasonal imagery, with organizers hoping the attraction will also help stimulate the city's nighttime economy.

Tokyo University Professor Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Tokyo University of Science professor emeritus Kenzo Soai has been awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with French chemist Henri B. Kagan for discoveries that transformed scientists' understanding of how chemical reactions can favor one of two mirror-image forms of a molecule.

US Military Halts All Okinawa Operations for 48 Hours

The US military suspended activities by all forces stationed in Okinawa for 48 hours from noon on October 7, an unusual measure following the arrest of a US Marine in connection with a robbery and murder case that has renewed scrutiny of crimes involving American service members.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Sci-Tech NEWS

Humanoid Robots Set to Enter Japanese Convenience Stores

Humanoid robots capable of stocking shelves, managing inventory, packaging products, and serving customers in more than 20 languages were showcased at an international retail industry event in Tokyo on October 8, highlighting the growing potential of artificial intelligence to transform store operations as Japan struggles with chronic labor shortages.

Tokyo University Professor Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Qilin Hacker Detained in Japan

A core member of the international ransomware group Qilin was detained in Japan and handed over to German authorities, according to people familiar with the case, as Japanese companies and institutions face a growing wave of cyberattacks that has exposed nearly 15 million pieces of personal information this month alone.

Japan Startup Begins Building Rare Earth Production Facility

Miresso, a Japanese startup backed by trading house Mitsui & Co., has announced the start of construction of a facility to produce beryllium, a rare metal essential for nuclear fusion power generation, with plans to manufacture 100 tons annually, equivalent to about one-third of current global production.

World’s First iPS Cell Heart Surgery Performed in Osaka

A woman in her 50s with severe heart failure underwent what was described as the world's first surgery using commercially available iPS cell-derived heart muscle sheets at an Osaka hospital on September 29, marking the first practical use of the regenerative treatment.