AI-Powered Integrated Planning Technology for Sustainable Logistics, Covering Delivery, Warehousing, and EV Charging, Wins Prime Minister's Award at the 55th Japan Industrial Technology Awards

Hitachi, Ltd. (hereinafter, Hitachi) has won the highest honor, the 'Prime Minister's Award,' at the '55th Japan Industrial Technology Awards*2' hosted by The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, Ltd. (hereinafter, Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun) for its AI-powered integrated planning technology for sustainable logistics, covering delivery, warehousing, and EV*1 charging. At the award ceremony held at Keidanren Kaikan on April 7, 2026, the President and CEO of Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun presented a certificate and a shield in recognition of this achievement.

The 'Japan Industrial Technology Awards,' established in 1972, is an award system that annually recognizes companies and groups that have made remarkable achievements in the development and commercialization of innovative large-scale industrial equipment, structures, and advanced technologies. It aims to honor achievements that have contributed to the development of industry and society, and to encourage technological development.

This technology is the core of 'EV Charging and Delivery,' a service for EVs within the 'Hitachi Digital Solution for Logistics' (hereinafter, HDSL), which automatically formulates highly effective delivery plans considering multiple constraints within a practical timeframe using AI. Developed by combining domain knowledge and technologies across logistics, energy, and digital, HDSL is being deployed in the distribution and manufacturing industries as part of the HMAX Industry lineup, accelerating the evolution towards physical AI that can make decisions and act autonomously.

Hitachi is focusing on 'HMAX Industry,' a next-generation solution suite for industrial fields that combines data from a rich installed base of products (digitized assets) with domain knowledge and advanced AI. In collaboration with the strategic SIB*3 business unit, which mobilizes company-wide resources to create new social innovation businesses, One Hitachi is innovating frontline worker sites and contributing to the improvement of people's well-being.

*1 EV (Electric Vehicle)

*2 Japan Industrial Technology Awards (The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun) https://corp.nikkan.co.jp/p/honoring/nihonsangyogijyutsutaishou/

*3 SIB: Social Innovation Business

About 'Hitachi Digital Solution for Logistics'

HDSL is a solution that enhances logistics operations, launched by Hitachi in 2019, providing services such as delivery optimization, delivery management, and shipping/stowage calculation. 'EV Charging and Delivery,' which utilizes the award-winning technology, evolves 'delivery optimization' into a service that integrally optimizes EV charging planning, management, and control with AI. In addition to delivery routes and vehicle assignments, it considers various constraints such as warehouse truck berths, EV chargers, and power limits, automatically creating highly effective plans that account for delivery, warehouse, and charging constraints within a practical timeframe.

HDSL, with Hitachi's proprietary AI algorithm combining heuristic methods*4 and mathematical programming*5, can highly automate complex planning tasks that traditionally depended on the experience of skilled workers. This leads to a reduction in the number of vehicles, mileage, and waiting times, as well as labor savings in planning operations.

Furthermore, by supporting the creation of delivery plans that consider charging schedules, charging control that accounts for power limits, and real-time visualization of charging status, which are necessary for EVs, it contributes to reducing the operational load and power costs for customers when introducing EVs on a large scale.

HDSL, one of the HMAX Industry solutions, is being operated at logistics sites, including major domestic transportation companies, contributing to mitigating driver shortages and improving management value through higher efficiency in delivery operations, and improving QoW (Quality of Work) by reducing unproductive tasks such as driver waiting for loading or charging.