• Western Digital launched a joint AI data infrastructure research lab with Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan, focused on next-generation storage technologies.
• Facility is based at Tohoku’s Research Institute of Electrical Communication, targeting higher-capacity HDD storage for AI-driven data center growth.
• Operations began July 1, 2026; program runs through June 30, 2029 under Tohoku’s RIEC collaborative research framework.
• WD cited IDC estimates that about 80% of accumulated cloud data center data resides on HDDs, reinforcing demand for capacity gains.

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