"Brain Processing Unit," a collaborative project by SoftBank Research Institute of Advanced Technology, Daito Manabe, and the University of Tokyo, wins Honorary Mention at the S+T+ARTS Prize 2025

SoftBank Corp.’s Research Institute of Advanced Technology ("SoftBank Research Institute of Advanced Technology") is pleased to announce that Brain Processing Unit ("BPU"), a collaborative project with artist Daito Manabe and Laboratory of Yoshiho Ikeuchi at the Institute of Industrial Science, the University of Tokyo, has received an Honorary Mention at the "S+T+ARTS (Science, Technology and the Arts) Prize 2025" competition organized by the European Commission (EU Commission).

The "S+T+ARTS Prize" is an international award operated by Ars Electronica, an international creative institution based in Linz, Austria, under commission from the EU Commission. The prize is awarded to innovative projects that have made a significant impact on economic and social innovation across the fields of science, technology, and the arts.

The BPU project, which received this year’s Honorary Mention, focuses on the high adaptability and learning capability of the human brain, aiming to utilize brain organoids^*1 — brain organoids derived from iPS cells — as a next-generation computing platform. Since 2022, the SoftBank Research Institute of Advanced Technology has been conducting joint research with Daito Manabe and the Ikeuchi Laboratory at The University of Tokyo, developing methods to stimulate brain organoids and analyze their activity data, as well as creating necessary interface technologies such as APIs^*2 and networks. Based on these research outcomes, an exhibition event was held in February 2025 to artistically present a future vision realized through BPU^*3. This award recognizes the project’s innovation, originality, and social significance on an international level, highlighting its pioneering approach to opening up new possibilities in advanced technology through the fusion of science, technology, and art.

The jury commented as follows:
“This project explores a new frontier of creativity using the Brain Processing Unit (BPU)—a biological processor made from lab-grown brain organoids, going beyond classical computing, which values logical optimization and reproducibility. It even goes beyond rapidly advancing quantum computing. Led by artist Daito Manabe with The University of Tokyo and SoftBank, this industry-academia-art initiative explores the roots of human creativity by introducing music and rhythm into interactions with the BPU. What is particularly interesting is that, as living tissue, organoids can show fatigue or errors—responses that may also challenge conventional notions of correctness and suggest alternative, possibly evolutionary, forms of intelligence. By posing essential, uncompromising questions, the artist productively disrupts the conventional research process, opening new directions and accelerating discovery. This project is a powerful example of how artist-led contributions to fundamental research can expand emerging technologies and inspire new visions for society.”
https://starts-prize.aec.at/en/brain-processing-unit/

A white paper providing more detailed information on this project is also available. Please take a look here.
https://www.softbank.jp/en/corp/technology/research/news/074/

*1 A three-dimensional tissue cultured model that partially replicates the structure of brain tissue, derived from human pluripotent stem cells such as iPS or ES cells.

*2 Application Programming Interface. A set of definitions and protocols that allows different software applications to communicate and interact with each other, often used to request or exchange data.

*3 For details on the exhibition event, please visit the special website: "Brain Processing Unit — The Future Where Biology and Computers Integrate."
https://www.softbank.jp/en/corp/technology/research/bpu/