The alliance strengthens international innovation pipeline through smart city collaboration and real-world technology deployment
PEACHTREE CORNERS, Ga., July 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Peachtree Corners – one of the nation’s first smart cities powered by real-world connected infrastructure and 5G – today announced a new partnership with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), one of the 10 largest global financial groups. The partnership will focus on exploring and advancing smart city systems through research, development, demonstration and deployment of next-generation use cases.
The agreement formalizes a long-standing relationship between Peachtree Corners, Curiosity Lab and MUFG, establishing a collaborative framework to support innovative solutions in transportation and smart city technology while fueling economic development in the city. MUFG’s global reach and regional office in Atlanta position the group to identify and connect clients with a need for real-world testing and smart infrastructure access, further enhancing Curiosity Lab’s ability to serve as a launch pad for U.S. and international innovation.
“Through this partnership, we are creating more than a bridge between sectors. We are continuing to build a launchpad for global smart city innovation and further supply innovators with a real-world testing environment to continue the validation and success of new emerging technology,” said Brian Johnson, City Manager of Peachtree Corners. “MUFG has already helped bring promising companies from around the world to our city, and this formal partnership will allow us to work even more closely to ensure that cutting-edge technologies are successfully tested, refined and deployed for the public good.”
The partnership will provide MUFG with access to a collaborative Innovation Center that is expanding to 50,000 square feet, adding 25,000 square feet of new innovation space to the existing facility. The Center offers a full 5G-powered testing environment, including a three-mile autonomous vehicle test lane, Town Center, and major regional artery SR141. Peachtree Corners offers access to city infrastructure with no intellectual property or equity requirements, and a NIST 171 certified ecosystem for the highest level of cyber security for unclassified data. Moreover, as a partner, MUFG will have the ability to work closely and interact with Curiosity Lab’s incubator program as well as global startups and established companies to further aid in developing cutting-edge technology.
By formalizing their partnership, MUFG and Peachtree Corners are reinforcing their shared commitment to fostering long-term innovation while maximizing public benefit through the development of safe, efficient, and interconnected smart city systems. MUFG’s role within the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and continued engagement with startups and corporate clients on both sides of the Pacific makes the group an ideal partner in growing Peachtree Corners’ influence as an international proving ground for urban technologies.
“This agreement enables MUFG to better support our clients by offering them unique opportunities for real-world engagement and innovation in the smart city space,” said Yutaka Fujishiro, Head of Japanese Corporate Banking for MUFG. “We’re proud to expand our collaboration with Curiosity Lab and the City of Peachtree Corners to help bring forward the future of connected urban development.”
A ceremony to announce the partnership was held at Peachtree Corners’ City Hall on Tuesday (July 1). Photos from the event can be found here.
About MUFG
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (MUFG) is one of the world’s leading financial groups. Headquartered in Tokyo and with over 360 years of history, MUFG has a global network with approximately 2,000 locations in more than 40 countries. The Group has about 140,000 employees and offers services including commercial banking, trust banking, securities, credit cards, consumer finance, asset management and leasing. The Group aims to “be the world’s most trusted financial group” through close collaboration among our operating companies and flexibly respond to all of the financial needs of our clients, serving society and fostering shared and sustainable growth for a better world. MUFG’s shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and New York stock exchanges. For more information, visit https://www.mufg.jp/english.
About the City of Peachtree Corners, Georgia
As the heart of what is being called #SiliconOrchard in the metro-Atlanta region, Peachtree Corners is a vibrant municipality that’s home to more than 45,000 residents, 45,000 jobs and an innovation hub that houses some of the world’s most disruptive technology companies. As the United States’ premier smart city powered by real-world connected infrastructure and 5G, Peachtree Corners serves as the model for how government and private industry can better collaborate to create a better future for society and business. From the world’s first deployment of teleoperated e-scooters to fully autonomous shuttles being utilized by actual residents, and from a solar roadway to the largest electric vehicle fast-charging hub in the region, Peachtree Corners is where the most future-forward Internet of Things (IoT) and sustainable technologies come to life for the benefit of its citizens, and the world. For more information, visit http://www.peachtreecornersga.gov.
About Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners
Curiosity Lab is a 5G-enabled intelligent mobility and smart city living laboratory located in the southeastern United States near Atlanta, Georgia. Designed as a proving ground for IoT, mobility and smart city emerging technologies, the centerpiece of the lab is a three-mile autonomous vehicle lane leveraging cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technologies. Additional infrastructure includes intelligent traffic cameras and traffic signals, smart streetlights, the country’s first “IoT Central Control Room” implemented in a city and a 25,000 square foot technology incubator. Owned and operated by the City of Peachtree Corners, Curiosity Lab is one of North America’s only real-world testing environments and is available for use free of charge. Additional information can be found at www.curiositylabptc.com.
SOURCE Peachtree Corners
