The University of Tokyo (UTokyo) and Fujitsu have commenced a pilot testing the viability of inter-regional workload shifting between data centers.

The initiative is part of the Watt-Bit Collaboration Project, which aims to optimize electricity supply and demand by integrating and operating power and communication systems. The trial will run from January 5, 2026, to March 21, 2026.

The trial is part of the technical verification process toward the realization of the Watt-Bit Collaboration Project for Green Transformation, which was announced by UTokyo in October in collaboration with TEPCO. The initiative aims to build a carbon-neutral, sustainable infrastructure and to contribute to green transformation by actively utilizing renewable energy to meet electricity demand.

The partners will collaborate with national and related bodies to expand connected locations and plan additional verifications, including the utilization of All Photonics Network (APN). In addition, the partners aim to develop technologies to realize a sovereign distributed data center concept, ensuring data and operational sovereignty primarily in regions surrounding renewable energy sources.

The trial will verify whether it can perform computations irrespective of location using container technology. In addition, it will test the effectiveness of inter-regional workload shifting linked to power grid conditions, such as grid load status and electricity market prices.

UTokyo will provide supercomputer systems at the Information Technology Center and workload use cases related to AI research, with Fujitsu integrating workload shifting using container technology and the provision of Fujitsu Cloud Service powered by Oracle Alloy.

According to the partners, the project was influenced by the need to decentralize data centers in the Japanese market, as well as support the country’s decarbonization efforts.