TOKYO, April 8, 2025 — Nippon Steel Corporation, the largest steelmaker in Japan and a leading global steel manufacturer, is partnering with TIER IV, Inc., a pioneer in open-source software for autonomous driving. The collaboration focuses on automating steel transport using heavy-duty autonomous vehicles, with the goal of deploying the technology at Nippon Steel’s Nagoya plant in fiscal year 2025.
Since fiscal year 2023, the companies have been working together to address labor shortages using autonomous driving technology. Nippon Steel is actively pursuing the automation of vehicles, including specialized transporters that carry pallets of steel plates, to improve logistics and enhance plant safety.
TIER IV offers reference designs to simplify the development and implementation of autonomous driving systems. In this collaborative effort, factory logistics reference designs are being adapted to create an autonomous driving system specifically for steel transportation.
Nippon Steel and TIER IV are dedicated to overcoming challenges like labor shortages, driving innovation to transform plant efficiency and safety through autonomous driving technology.
About Nippon Steel
Nippon Steel is the largest steel manufacturer in Japan and a leading global producer, with production facilities in Japan and over 15 other countries. The Nippon Steel Group’s operations encompass four main areas: steel manufacturing, engineering, chemicals & materials, and system solutions. The company’s management plan is structured around four key pillars: “Reconstruction of Domestic Steel Business and Strengthening of Group Management,” “Global Strategy for Evolution and Expansion of Overseas Business,” “Challenges Toward Carbon Neutrality,” and “Promotion of Digital Transformation Strategy.” With the aim of becoming the world’s No. 1 comprehensive steel manufacturer, Nippon Steel strives for the highest levels of technology and manufacturing prowess to benefit society through exceptional products and services. More information is available on Nippon Steel’s website: .
About TIER IV
is at the forefront of deep tech innovation, pioneering , the world’s first open-source software for autonomous driving. Leveraging Autoware, we develop scalable platforms and provide comprehensive solutions across software development, vehicle manufacturing, and service operations. As a founding member of , we are dedicated to reshaping the future of intelligent vehicles with open-source software, enabling individuals and organizations to thrive in the evolving field of autonomous driving.
Autoware is a registered trademark of The Autoware Foundation.
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SOURCE TIER IV, Inc.
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