Korea's Autonomous A2Z, Kanematsu team up for Level 4 self-driving in Japan
Level 4 autonomy enables vehicles to operate without driver intervention within designated areas.
Under the agreement signed Monday, the two companies will collaborate to deploy Autonomous A2Z's proprietary self-driving technology in Japan. The partnership also includes efforts to secure local certification and regulatory approval, as well as exploring the possibility of establishing a joint venture.
Autonomous A2Z holds the longest cumulative autonomous driving record among Korean companies, with over 68,000 kilometers of real-world operation across Korea.
Kanematsu, a trading company with a 136-year history in Japan, plans to use its broad domestic network to support the development of local infrastructure and institutions for autonomous mobility. The company has established operations in sectors including mobility, information and communications technology, and electronics.
The partnership comes amid growing interest in autonomous driving in Japan, where aging demographics and population concentration in metropolitan areas increasingly strain the transportation system.
'Kanematsu is a strong partner capable of bridging the autonomous driving industry and Japan's social system, backed by its deep roots in the local economy,' said Han Ji-hyeong, CEO of Autonomous A2Z. 'Through this collaboration, we aim to lead mobility innovation in Japan with our autonomous technology and further accelerate our global expansion.'
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