[Seminar] Latest Trends in Cashless Payments and Outlook for 2026

[Speaker] EY Strategy and Consulting Co., Ltd. Transaction and Corporate Finance M&A Advisory Director Naoki Saito [Key Lecture Content] In recent years, the grid-scale battery business has garnered significant attention from practitioners, particularly in the renewable energy sector. However, it is also true that there are several challenges that remain to be addressed for further investment expansion. In this lecture, we will explain the finance environment, various markets utilized for revenue generation, and the diversifying business schemes that could influence the success or failure of investment expansion. We will also introduce the current challenges related to each theme, the efforts of market participants towards their resolution or improvement, and future outlooks. [Lecture Items] 1. Overview of the business surrounding grid-scale batteries (historical trends, etc.) 2. Diversifying business schemes 3. Current challenges hindering further investment expansion (finance methods, etc.) 4. Various initiatives towards problem-solving 5. Q&A / Business card exchange

[Key Lecture Content] I. Current Status and Future Direction of the Battery Industry Takaya Ikeda, Section Chief, Battery Industry Division, Commerce and Information Policy Bureau, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry 1. Importance of Batteries and Market Trends 2. Battery Supply Chain 3. Trends in Government and Industry Overseas 4. Battery Industry Strategy, Current Status, and Direction 5. Business Card Exchange II. Current Status and Challenges of the Resource Recycling Process for Batteries Chiharu Tokoro, Professor, Department of Environmental Resource Engineering, School of Creative Science and Engineering, Waseda University Professor, Department of Systems Innovation, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo 1. Resource Recycling and Carbon Neutrality 2. Sustainability of Batteries 3. Overview of Separation and Concentration Technologies for Resource Recycling 4. Overview of the Resource Recycling Process for Lithium-Ion Batteries 5. Efforts Toward Direct Recycling 6. Q&A / Business Card Exchange

[Speaker] Hiroaki Izuma, Advisor, Business Creation Division, Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc. Director, Osaka University Foresight Co., Ltd. [Key Lecture Content] Renewable energy (solar power, wind power) is unstable, so Short-term Energy Storage (SDES) is necessary. The main SDES is lithium-ion batteries, which can store energy for several hours, but as the ratio of renewable energy is expected to reach about 50% in the future, Long-term Energy Storage (LDES) will be required. LDES can store energy from 10 hours to several months. The technological classifications of LDES include electrochemical, mechanical, thermal, and chemical methods. In this lecture, we will explain the characteristics of each LDES method, promising overseas startups, and the progress of social implementation, providing insights into new business opportunities. [Lecture Items] 1. Background for the need for LDES 2. Characteristics of the four technological methods 3. Promising overseas LDES startups and social implementation (1) Electrochemical method (2) Mechanical method (3) Thermal method (4) Chemical method 4. Comparison between overseas and Japan 5. Q&A / Business card exchange

[Speaker] Kazuki Miyamoto, Representative/Analyst, VentureClef, USA [Key Lecture Content] AI development has stepped into the realm of singularity, with technology evolving at an exponential rate. OpenAI will release AGI (AI comparable to human intelligence). President Trump is promoting AI innovation, and a rush to build gigawatt-class AI data centers has begun across the United States. Tesla is entering semiconductor manufacturing, producing AI processors in-house, and equipping them in robots and cars. They are vertically integrating core technologies from chips to AI. The Trump administration has initiated the development of "domestic AI," exporting it to allied countries and launching an initiative to dominate the global market. The AI moonshot project will have an immeasurable impact on the U.S. industry and economy. The ripple effects will spread to the global society, including Japan. Japanese companies are required to understand the U.S. AI megatrend and prepare for this wave. [Lecture Items] <1> Intelligence <2> Infrastructure <3> Hardware <4> Economy

East Hall: 6 Booth Number [E26-40] Our company provides comprehensive support from circuit board design and development to implementation. We are also capable of designing enclosures and building IoT cloud systems. Additionally, we apply moisture-proof treatment to all circuit boards, ensuring quality that can be safely used even in demanding environments such as agricultural sites. At the venue, we will introduce our technologies and strengths while you view actual circuit boards and cloud screens. We sincerely look forward to your visit.