Fixed-wing type drone instant logistics system：Zipline's blood products and medical supplies delivery business.

Blood products need to be transported and used quickly when a patient suffers a massive hemorrhage due to childbirth or an accident, but in countries and regions with poor transportation networks, it is difficult to deliver blood products on an as-needed basis. Therefore, blood products are mainly transported to medical institutions in large quantities at a time and stocked, but the expiration date of blood products is short and unused products must be discarded.

In addition, some medical institutions do not have enough money to purchase equipment for storing blood, limiting treatment options.

Zipline International Inc. began its blood products and medical supplies delivery business in Rwanda in 2016, utilizing an automatic flying fixed-wing type drone with a range of approximately 160 km and a cruising speed of 100 km/h. Inventory of blood products and pharmaceuticals is stored centrally at distribution centers, and Zipline uses drones to quickly deliver the necessary materials, when necessary and in the necessary quantities, to medical institutions located within 80km distribution area from their distribution center.

Zipline's fixed-wing type drones are rain and wind resistant, capable of stable delivery even in 14 m/s winds and 50 mm/h of very heavy rain.

The drones can also handle items that need to be kept cool during delivery, and operate 24/7 with automated flight operations, making approximately 200 deliveries per day on a typical day. In Rwanda, as of 2023, two sites cover almost the entire country, and approximately 75% of the nation's blood distribution volume, excluding the area around the capital Kigali, is being delivered by drones.

Zipline is expanding its footprint in Africa to Ghana in 2019 and to Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire, and Kenya in 2022, with distribution operations in each region for blood products, medical supplies, specimens, and daily necessities.

Toyota Tsusho concluded a strategic business alliance with Zipline in the Japanese market in 2021, and in April 2022, began a delivery business for ethical pharmaceuticals and food and daily necessities in the Goto Islands of Nagasaki Prefecture by Toyota Tsusho wholly owned subsidiary, Sora-iina Corporation. As of the end of October 2023, the drone has flown more than 1,100 times over 91,000 km in the region, which faces logistics challenges unique to remote island regions.

In Japan, the distribution and delivery network is well-developed, but the country is facing social issues such as a shortage of delivery personnel due to the declining birthrate and aging population. Against this backdrop, Zipline is developing new drones for last-mile deliveries within cities, in addition to its existing drones for long-distance deliveries. Sora-iina hopes to address various logistics issues in Japan by developing a drone logistics business based on Zipline's two types of existing and new drone and Sora-iina delivery experience.

African countries and Japan differ in many respects, such as social environment, population, and age structure, however, we believe that Zipline's drone logistics philosophy of "No one will be left behind" is a common solution to the problems of each region.

Zipline and Sora-iina will continue to implement convenient and sustainable delivery services through reverse innovation using drone technology honed in Africa.