Winners of 'FDUA Awards 2026' Announced: Recognizing Excellence in Financial Data and AI Utilization

The Financial Data Utilization Association (FDUA, based in Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Takuro Okada) has announced the winners of the 'FDUA Awards 2026.' This award program aims to advance data utilization in financial institutions and improve overall industry standards by honoring exemplary initiatives. It also promotes self-check activities provided by the FDUA Standardization Committee.

For this edition, five financial institutions were selected across three categories: Grand Prize, Data Utilization Award, and Special Award. The selection was based on recommendations from financial institutions and a comprehensive evaluation by a judging committee organized by the FDUA Standardization Committee.

FDUA believes that sharing the results and the efforts behind these initiatives will contribute to the development of the entire financial industry. The award ceremony will take place during the 'Financial AI Conference 2026' on Thursday, May 21, 2026.

<Ceremony Details> Program: FDUA Awards 2026 Ceremony Date: May 21, 2026 (Thu) 17:40-18:30 Location: Otemachi Place Hall & Conference

<Winning Companies> - Grand Prize: Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation - Data Utilization Award: Orient Corporation - Data Utilization Award: The Bank of Yokohama, Ltd. - Special Award (Generative AI): Aflac Life Insurance Japan Ltd. - Special Award (Regional Contribution): Chugin Financial Group, Inc.

<Award Descriptions> - Grand Prize: Awarded to the institution with the most outstanding data utilization initiative. - Data Utilization Award: Awarded for excellent initiatives in financial data usage. - Special Award: Awarded for noteworthy or specific contributions in areas like AI or regional support.

<Reason for Grand Prize: Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking> The institution was highly commended for establishing a corporate knowledge base using Generative AI, transforming specialized, person-dependent knowledge into a shared corporate asset. By focusing on fundamental data structuring and specialized dictionaries, they achieved implementation in a short period through startup collaboration. As of January 2026, the project has expanded across multiple business areas, reaching a scale of 71,000 hours in annual labor reduction. Their center of excellence (CoE) ensures sustainability and applicability, setting a leading example for competitiveness in the generative AI era.