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UD Trucks holds seminar to explore how connectivity is transforming logistics, emphasizing need for collaboration and open innovation

On July 11, UD Trucks held a seminar entitled "How connectivity is transforming logistics", at NTT DoCoMo Inc. headquarters in Tokyo. UD Trucks representatives and guest speakers stressed that collaboration and open innovation around connectivity will be a key driver in making logistics and society smarter.

Over 20 journalists attended the seminar. It was also broadcast live via webinar, attracting over 300 online viewers. The 90-minute seminar consisted of presentations, a panel discussion, and a QA session.

UD Trucks makes up a portion of nearly 1,000,000 connected vehicles for the Volvo Group as a whole. Connectivity leverages vehicle data to increase uptime, productivity, and fuel efficiency. It also makes our roads safer and is an enabler for automation and electro mobility.

Three representatives from UD Trucks, including Digital Solutions and IT SVP Satish Rajkumar, as well as NTT DoCoMo SVP in charge of 5G innovation Takehiro Nakamura, and automotive journalist and member of Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program Kazuo Shimizu, discussed the challenges facing the logistics industry and how connectivity can improve efficiency and safety for all stakeholders. 
The government’s role in supporting smarter logistics
Kazuo Shimizu, who also served as moderator, opened the session by explaining how connectivity and logistics supports the government’s objective of creating a smarter and more sustainable society, known as Society 5.0 in Japan. 

Kazuo Shimizu said, "While e-commerce is making our lives more convenient, it is also straining the industry – from traffic congestion to a shortage of drivers. With the government’s encouragement and support, new connectivity technologies can make the logistics industry more efficient and sustainable".
 

UD Trucks encourages open innovation
Three speakers from UD Trucks explained what the company is doing in terms of connectivity and how open innovation is critical going forward.

Satish Rajkumar highlighted the importance of creating a scalable and reliable open-platform to increase uptime, productivity, and safety across the logistics industry. He added that UD Trucks is uniquely positioned to incorporate a broad range of industry-leading connectivity technologies and resources from the Volvo Group.

Chandrika Shetty, Director of Connected Solutions, noted that while it is essential to create connectivity services by sharing data among relevant stakeholders, it is equally important to establish secure and reliable platforms that ensure data privacy by limiting access to authorized and trusted developers.

Koichi Mori, Business Analyst of Connected Solutions, outlined the company’s current connected services offering. One example is Nenpi Coach, a service which monitors fuel consumption and gives real-time advice to drivers via the truck dashboard display. Such services help increase uptime and productivity, and the number of connected UD vehicles is expected to increase from 60,000 today to 150,000 by 2025.

NTT DoCoMo’s high expectations for 5G and connected trucks

NTT DoCoMo's Takehiro Nakamura introduced the carrier's strategy for 5G, the next generation cellular network technology, while expressing hopes to expand 5G-related services through partnerships. More than 2,800 companies and organizations have joined the 5G Open Partner Program, with logistics and transport companies accounting for about 5% of the participants.

Takehiro Nakamura said, "MaaS (Mobility as a Service) initiatives such as AI buses that seek to optimize routes dynamically according to demand is one example of smart logistics. If the logistics and telecommunications industries can share knowledge and leverage new assets such as AI, we can make great strides together."

Connectivity solutions for today and tomorrow
During the ensuing panel discussion, the speakers looked further into the benefits that connectivity can bring to logistics.

There was consensus that the pace of innovation for commercial vehicles will be faster than passenger vehicles, considering many commercial applications take place in more controlled and predictable environments.

From a societal perspective, Kazuo Shimizu suggested that, "Connectivity can dramatically transform the way we live and how people and goods move. It has the potential to curb the problems associated with over-urbanization in Japan."

Satish Rajkumar reiterated the importance of creating an open eco-system to resolve the challenges facing the logistics industry and society in general. In closing he said, "Working closely and collaborating with our customers, software vendors and other stakeholders through open innovation is the key to improving profitable growth, uptime, productivity, and safety in the logistics industry. Smarter logistics can help create the foundation for a smarter and more sustainable society".

Webinar video is available here: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBMXe_g6cLg&t=1047s

For media enquiries, please contact:
Info.udtrucks.japan@udtrucks.co.jp


UD Trucks is a leading Japanese commercial vehicle solutions provider, active in more than 60 countries on all continents. Since its inception in 1935, the company has been an innovation leader with a clear vision to provide the trucks and services the world needs today. The company is committed to go the extra mile for smart logistics with the most dependable solutions for demanding customers. To best support across applications and geographies, UD Trucks offers a full range of heavy duty trucks - Quon and Quester, medium duty trucks - Condor and Croner, and light duty trucks - Kazet and Kuzer, as well as associated operational and financial services. 

UD Trucks is a proud member of the Volvo Group, which in 2018 had net sales of 391 BSEK and 105,000 employees globally.

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