NAVER, SK Energy to Cooperate in Developing Gas Station–Based Future AI; Robotics Logistics Technologies to Reduce SME B
NAVER, SK Energy to Cooperate in Developing Gas Station–Based Future AI; Robotics Logistics Technologies to Reduce SME B
NAVER, SK Energy to Cooperate in Developing Gas Station–Based Future AI; Robotics Logistics Technologies to Reduce SME Burdens
- NAVER and SK Energy to launch a delivery service called Chakan Taekbae (“The Nicer Delivery”) in the upcoming year, utilizing SK gas stations and goodsFLOW vehicles
- NAVER to collaborate in developing future logistics technologies using advanced AI and robotics technologies
- strategically utilizing gas stations as urban logistics centers, the collaboration expected to benefit consumers-SMEs by exploring new roles for gas stations
December 23, 2022
NAVER Corporation (CEO Choi Soo-yeon) and SK Energy (CEO Cho Kyong-mok), SK Innovation’s oil business subsidiary, agreed to develop gas stations as urban logistics hubs with advanced technologies.
[Photo] Lee Yoon-Sook, head of NAVER Forest CIC and Oh Jong-hoon, head of SK Energy P&M CIC
NAVER and SK Energy announced on December 23 that they have signed a business agreement for joint development of urban logistics services and cooperation on future technologies. The agreement was signed on December 22 at the SK Seorin Building. The two companies will work together to relieve the logistics burden of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and develop future logistics technologies and infrastructure. Accordingly, SK Energy will provide its gas stations as NAVER’s logistics centers for e-commerce products, and NAVER will advance artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics technologies.
As part of the agreement, the two companies will operate The Chakan Taekbae(“The Nicer Delivery”) service that will collect products from multiple SMEs to allow for more efficient management of the logistics process and minimize logistics-related concerns. The service uses goodsFLOW, invested by SK Energy, to visit SMEs, pick up goods, and deliver them to end users. It plans to start operating in some areas of Seoul and gradually expand to other areas.
Moreover, NAVER and SK Energy plan to establish micro fulfillment centers (MFCs)* in SK Energy’s gas station sites in the medium to long term to explore various fulfillment possibilities. By expanding MFCs in strategic locations based on SK gas stations, SMEs’ products can be stored in nearby logistics centers, boosting quick delivery services such as same-day delivery. They can also cooperate with the local community where gas station–based MFCs are established to prepare new business models such as joint purchases at competitive prices or real-time live commerce that starts delivering immediately after orders are placed.
*MFCs: These are warehouses of about 1,000 pyeong (3,305 square feet) located in urban areas for more accessibility to end consumers. MFCs engage in a comprehensive service that handles the entire logistics process for consigned goods from storage, packaging, and shipping to returns.
With the rising demand for non–face-to-face e-commerce amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the logistics industry is actively seeking logistics sites in urban areas and automation technologies for prompt and secure delivery. In the past, long-distance delivery from large-scale distribution centers in the suburbs was the primary delivery method, but the increase of smaller orders with product varieties in the urban areas caused by growing single or two-person households has presented additional complexity to logistics. Since urban areas are characterized by high land value and population density, logistics companies are struggling to secure facilities in the urban areas, which is why the gas station sites scattered throughout the cities are regarded as the best models for urban logistics.
The two companies also agreed to continue collaboration on the innovation of future logistics technologies involving demand prediction, automation of urban logistics centers, and delivery innovation, using AI, Cloud, and robotics technologies.
Lee Yoon-Sook, head of NAVER Forest CIC, said, “Through collaboration with SK Energy on logistics automation and optimizing AI demand prediction, we will expand on-demand** logistics services for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), participate in the development of various logistics technologies to alleviate the challenges faced by SMEs, and create opportunities for new types of commerce businesses.”
**On-demand: It is a service model that answers to the demand; in other words, it is a customized service made available upon the customer’s request.
Oh Jong-hoon, head of SK Energy P&M CIC, said, “SK Energy is paying attention to the new roles of gas stations in the daily lives of consumers to strengthen eco-friendly logistics in urban areas. By cooperating with NAVER, we seek to contribute to expanding the logistics infrastructure that benefits both consumers and SMEs.”
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