Japan’s KDDI Corporation, KDDI Smart Drone Corporation and Wing Aviation LLC have announced a strategic partnership for the full-scale introduction of drone delivery services in Japan.
“This partnership will combine Wing’s globally proven autonomous drones, flight systems, and automated ground infrastructure with KDDI and KDDI Smart Drone’s expertise in communication infrastructure, regulatory compliance, and social implementation,” said KDDI Corporation in a press release, translated from the Japanese. “The three companies will work together to build a foundation for drone delivery that can deliver daily necessities, food, over-the-counter medicines, and small-lot retail goods quickly, safely, and sustainably.”
The partners aim to begin delivering food products and daily necessities to some areas by 2027. “After that, we will work with local governments and regional partners to expand the range of products and areas of service,” said the release.
Through this partnership, the three companies will promote the social implementation of drone delivery. By addressing social issues such as improving local convenience and securing delivery methods during disasters, they will contribute to the realization of sustainable local communities.
“In Japan, drone delivery is expected to contribute to solving various social issues as a new means of delivery that supports local life. In addition to supporting people who have difficulty shopping and improving convenience for consumers, we aim to provide the following value, with an eye on improving the efficiency of logistics in the future….In addition to the increasing frequency of small-lot deliveries and the rise in redeliveries, the burden on logistics companies is growing year by year due to the driver shortage caused by the “2024 logistics problem.” By using drone delivery to deliver goods directly to the location specified by the customer, we aim to reduce redeliveries, improve delivery efficiency, and alleviate the burden on logistics companies.”
KDDI and KDDI Smart Drone report they have been working to commercialize drone delivery by supporting safe beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) flights using mobile communication networks in the air, complying with drone regulations, collaborating with local governments, and partnering with various businesses. For example, they are deploying drone ports nationwide and are promoting the social implementation of advanced drone use to solve local issues, such as conducting disaster situation assessment through remote operation.
For more information
https://wing.com/news/taking-flight-in-japan-kddi-and-wing-partner-to-bring-drone-delivery-to-japan
https://newsroom.kddi.com/news/detail/kddi_nr-1209_4782.html
(Image: Wing)