SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. and GOTO, Japan, April 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Toyota Tsusho Corporation (Toyota Tsusho), one of Japan’s general trading companies and a member of the Toyota Group, and Zipline, the global leader in instant logistics, today launched automated, on-demand deliveries of medical supplies across Japan’s Gotō Islands. Under this partnership, Toyota Tsusho is using Zipline’s instant logistics system to make routine, commercial long-distance drone deliveries in Japan.
This marks Zipline’s entry into Japan and its first-ever strategic operational partnership, in which Toyota Tsusho, via Sora-iina, a new subsidiary company created to conduct these operations, will manage its own distribution center and flight services from Fukue Port. Sora-iina’s Gotō distribution center will be the first in Asia and 14th in the world to operate Zipline’s autonomous instant logistics technology, as well as the first in the world to be operated by a partner.
Utilizing Zipline’s autonomous aircraft and end-to-end logistics technology, Sora-iina will distribute medical supplies to pharmacies and hospitals across the Gotō Islands, including to remote and isolated areas. Initial autonomous aerial deliveries will include beyond visual line of site operations up to 40 kilometers roundtrip, and enable on-demand access to hundreds of medical products. The partnership also has the potential to expand to both new communities and use cases in the future.
“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,” said Keller Rinaudo, co-founder and CEO of Zipline. “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.”
Toyota Tsusho’s new sustainable on-demand delivery service in the Gotō Islands builds on Japan’s commitment to sustainability. When compared to conventional deliveries via car or van, Zipline’s autonomous aircraft have been shown to produce 98% less carbon emissions.
Today’s launch is the culmination of a longstanding partnership between Toyota Tsusho and Zipline, which began with Toyota Tsusho’s investment in Zipline in June 2018. The companies have also partnered in Ghana, where Zipline delivers medical products from Gokals-Laborex Limited—Toyota Tsusho Group’s pharmaceutical distributor—to hospitals across the country.
About Zipline
Zipline is the global instant logistics leader. Our purpose is to inspire possibility, transform systems and serve all people equally. We design, manufacture and operate the world’s largest automated on-demand delivery service, which to date has made more than 275,000 commercial deliveries containing more than 5 million units of vaccines and other medical products, reducing delivery emissions by up to 98% compared to traditional methods. Zipline is the trusted partner for governments, global brands and leading health care systems. Zipline’s first flights in Asia follow a year of rapid global expansion for the company that included new agreements with Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, three states in Nigeria and several U.S. companies. For more information, visit www.flyzipline.com.
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