Toyota Tsusho Corporation (Toyota Tsusho), a member of the Toyota Group and one of Japan's largest general trade firms, and Zipline, the worldwide leader in instant logistics, today announced the commencement of automated, on-demand delivery of medical supplies throughout Japan's Got Islands. Toyota Tsusho will use Zipline's immediate logistics system to do normal commercial long-distance drone deliveries in Japan as part of this agreement.
This agreement represents Zipline's introduction into Japan and its first-ever strategic operational cooperation, with Toyota Tsusho managing its own distribution center and flying services from Fukue Port through Sora-iina, a new subsidiary business founded for these purposes. Sora-Got iina's distribution center will be the first in Asia and the 14th worldwide to use Zipline's self-driving instant logistics technology, as well as the first to be run by a partner.
Sora-iina will transport medical supplies to pharmacies and hospitals across the Got Islands, including distant and inaccessible places, using Zipline's autonomous aircraft and end-to-end logistics technology. Initial autonomous airborne deliveries will extend up to 40 kilometers outside visual line of sight, enabling on-demand access to hundreds of medical goods. Additionally, the relationship has the potential to grow in the future to include additional communities and use cases.
“The Toyota Group has a decades-long track record of excellence across transportation and logistics; now, they’re ready to take on the next frontier of mobility, Together, we’re taking an important step toward unlocking the impact of autonomous instant logistics technology in new use cases, new airspaces and entirely new geographies.”
-Keller Rinaudo, co-founder and CEO of Zipline
Toyota Tsusho's new sustainable on-demand delivery service in the Got Islands exemplifies Japan's environmental commitment. When compared to traditional delivery methods such as automobile or van, Zipline's autonomous aircraft emit 98 percent less carbon dioxide.
Today's debut is the result of a long-standing collaboration between Toyota Tsusho and Zipline, which started with Toyota Tsusho's June 2018 investment in Zipline. Zipline also partners with Gokals-Laborex Limited, Toyota Tsusho Group's pharmaceutical distributor, in Ghana, where Zipline distributes medical supplies from Gokals-Laborex Limited to hospitals around the nation.