関通HD has partnered with China's smart logistics company STORIN to roll out a mobile showroom strategy for the Japanese market. Built around five solutions, the strategy aims to expand in phases 1–3 based on live operational data.
関通ホールディングス announced that it had entered into a strategic business partnership with STORIN JP, a smart logistics company focused on Asia. The two companies aim to rapidly expand their domestic robotics business platform and capture market share early by combining logistics expertise in Japan with automation technology from the Chinese market. Going forward, they will prioritize the deployment of joint solutions, initially targeting sites in Japan and existing customers.
Specifically, the five core business solution packages will use GTP and container robots for high-frequency small-item picking, four-way shuttles for high-density storage, AGVs and other systems to automate transportation, sorters and automatic labeling to improve shipping accuracy, and robot arms to automate repetitive processes.
Under the mobile showroom strategy, initial deployments will be demonstrated at the company's logistics centers and existing customer sites. The rollout will proceed in three phases: phase 1, initial deployment; phase 2, expansion based on live operational data; and phase 3, industry standardization and the acquisition of large-scale projects. Automation projects, including 3D sorters, are already under way, and initial deployments of STORIN solutions are progressing.
President Tatsushiro Toshitaka (達城利卓) emphasized the importance of developing a business based on applied technology rather than simply providing robots, in anticipation of labor shortages and the era of physical AI. Going forward, the companies plan to provide end-to-end automation solutions that draw on their respective strengths to the Japanese market.