NEDO Digital Lifeline Development Project "National Digital Lifeline Comprehensive Development Plan / Early Harvest Project"

Trajectory, Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Kenji Koseki; hereinafter "Trajectory") conducted a demonstration of a drone route crossing prefectural borders on March 30, 2026, from the Tenryu area of Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, to Toyone Village, Kitashitara District, Aichi Prefecture. This initiative was carried out as part of the "National Digital Lifeline Comprehensive Development Plan / Early Harvest Project" promoted by NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization). ■ Demonstration Overview This demonstration aims to verify the validity of development outcomes by utilizing the improvements and advancements in drone route systems, as well as the establishment and enhancement of air mobility data spaces originating from drone routes, which are being pursued for nationwide deployment. Specifically, it seeks to demonstrate direct flight operations, route duplication, and operations involving entry and exit between drone routes above power transmission lines and rivers managed by different operators. Project Name: NEDO "Digital Lifeline Development Project / Drone Route Demonstration" Date: Monday, March 30, 2026 Implementation Area: From Tenryu area, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture to Toyone Town, Aichi Prefecture ■ Demonstration Items Direct flight operations and drone route duplication between drone routes above power transmission lines and rivers managed by different operators, etc. ■ Demonstration Content In March of last year, a world-first drone route was established over the Tenryu River system in Hamamatsu City. In the Hamamatsu City area, a drone route has been established for approximately 180 km over the Tenryu River, a Class-A river, and its utilization for logistics and inspection purposes is advancing. Hamamatsu City also positions this as "new aerial infrastructure," aiming to accelerate the social implementation of various services through more safe and efficient operations. Leveraging the knowledge gained from existing routes, Trajectory has now verified the potential for wide-area utilization crossing prefectural borders by extending the route from Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, to Toyone Town, Aichi Prefecture. By considering wide-area operations that are not confined within a region, we aim to promote increased convenience in mountainous areas, rapid material transport during disasters, and deployment for infrastructure purposes such as river inspections. ■ State of the Demonstration ■ Future Outlook Moving forward, based on the knowledge gained from this demonstration, we will further materialize the implementation of drone routes in the mountainous areas from the northern region of Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, to Toyone Town, Aichi Prefecture. Many of these areas are more than an hour's drive from urban centers, and public transportation options are limited, posing challenges for daily shopping and access to medical care. Furthermore, the aging rate is high at 40-70%, making the provision of transportation options crucial due to the increase in license surrender. As these are mountainous regions prone to sediment disasters, there is also a risk of settlements becoming isolated during disasters. Against this backdrop, Trajectory will proceed with establishing a system that enables delivery of goods from the Futamata area, relatively close to urban centers, to northern regions and Toyone Town, as well as the exchange of materials between the Shizuoka and Aichi areas. In normal times, we aim to contribute to industrial promotion by vitalizing the distribution of regional products such as agricultural and livestock products, in addition to improving access to shopping and medical care. During disasters, it will also be utilized for transporting supplies to isolated settlements and confirming the extent of damage, thereby enhancing the region's disaster resilience. Moreover, regarding drone routes, standardization and regulatory development are progressing, and the launch of route certification and registration systems is expected in the future. Trajectory will consider compliance with such systems through route operations in the Hamamatsu area and, while looking towards overseas expansion in the future, will promote the social implementation of "air infrastructure" that contributes to solving regional issues. Trajectory, Inc. (1) Company Name: Trajectory, Ltd. (2) URL: https://trajectory.jp/ (3) Representative Director: Kenji Koseki (4) Head Office Location: Sumitomo Fudosan Toranomon Tower 17F, Room 7, 2-2-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo (5) Established: March 2018 Keywords: