DHL Express Malaysia partners Aerodyne Group on drone delivery services

• • Collaborate on logistics solutions for life sciences, maritime industries in Malaysia
• • Drone tech promises rapid, flexible, safe, and environmentally-friendly deliveries

DHL Express, the world’s leading express service provider, has inked an agreement last month with Aerodyne Group in Malaysia to assess the commercial viability of drone technology and develop business models for its use in life sciences and maritime supply chains.

Aerodyne Group is a global provider of drone-based enterprise solutions with use of AI for large-scale data capture and analytics.

Through the partnership, both companies have identified market opportunities for improving the transport of healthcare related supplies in East Malaysia and time-critical essentials to vessels plying the waters of the Malaccan Straits.

"The fourth industrial revolution, accented by digital transformation across many industries coupled with the pace of change in the logistics industry, requires constant innovative approaches to meet evolving demand and ensure future-ready supply chains. This is where drones and robotics play a vital role in the future of logistics, especially for businesses in Malaysia," said Julian Neo, Managing Director of DHL Express Malaysia and Brunei.

"In line with our commitment to digital transformation, we take an active interest in new technologies and their practical applications so that we can support the varied needs of the communities we serve. Our partnership with Aerodyne represents a big step forward in making drone deliveries a reality within our portfolio of offerings."

DHL was a part of the launch of the Iskandar Drone and Robotics Zone held last week, which was officiated by Minister of Science Technology and Innovation, Khairy Jamaluddin. “In tandem with the global rise of drone delivery, our partnership with DHL Express is timely to make this service compliant, as well as technically and commercially viable in Malaysia and beyond,” says Aerodyne Group Founder and Group CEO, Kamarul A Muhamed.

“This collaboration will also heighten our advocacy efforts worldwide for supportive regulations on drone services and spur more breakthroughs in our advanced drone and data tech,” he adds.

The impact of the global pandemic has compounded persisting last-mile delivery challenges and made it more urgent than ever to respond to changes in the logistics landscape. The deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles may realise automatic, contactless shipping services in remote areas and from shore to vessel to shore.