Nippon Steel Corporation, Japan’s largest steelmaker, is partnering with TIER IV, the developer of the world’s first open-source autonomous driving software, to automate steel transportation at its Nagoya plant by fiscal 2025.
Since fiscal 2023, the two companies have been working together to address labor shortages through autonomous vehicle solutions.
As part of the initiative, Nippon Steel aims to automate specialized transporters that move pallets loaded with steel plates, improving both logistics efficiency and plant safety. TIER IV is customizing its reference designs for factory logistics to develop a tailored autonomous driving system for steel handling. Together, the companies aim to revolutionize industrial transport through cutting-edge automation.