Property companies gear up for next- generation logistics

Property developer Mitsubishi Estate has become a pioneer in developing the next generation of logistics hubs. It is following a global trend where property developers are treating automation as a building-design issue rather than simply a tenant’s technology decision. Mitsubishi and other developers believe the logistics property of the next decade is likely to be designed around autonomous vehicles, robotic handling, automated storage, AI-driven warehouse management and much higher electrical and data requirements. Japan’s logistics industry is facing challenges such as driver shortages, compounded by an ageing workforce and pressure on transport companies to reduce their carbon footprint. The country’s logistics network is supported by approximately 60 000 transport companies, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism estimates that there will be a shortfall of about 34% in the transport capacity needed in 2030, according to a Mitsubishi and ABeam Consulting case study. “As a real estate company, we have traditionally focused on developing and leasing logistics facilities. With this initiative, we aim to go beyond that,” says Yuto Katsuragi, head of core logistics business promotion office, logistics facilities development department, Mitsubishi Estate. “By combining systems and automation technologies with logistics facilities, we believe we can create next- generation mobility-ready core logistics facilities by leveraging Mitsubishi Estate’s strengths – its relationships with numerous shippers and logistics companies, together with its expertise in logistics facility development,” he adds. Challenges identified by Mitsubishi include the need to redefine the role of logistics facilities as part of a new value creation model that extends beyond conventional real estate development; the redesign of the entire transport network, including logistics hubs; constraints on line-haul transport and the difficulty of turning a concept into a concrete, feasible business plan rather than merely a vision. The working model includes developing core logistics facilities directly connected to expressway interchanges. These facilities would incorporate functions such as mobility pools for coupling and decoupling autonomous trucks and open cross-docking facilities for transferring freight between autonomous trucks engaged in line-haul transport and driver-operated trucks handling regional delivery. The company is running demonstration projects using Level 4 self-driving autonomous trucks linked to core logistics facilities. In the future, Mitsubishi Estate plans to conduct a physical proof of concept (PoC) study in the second half of the 2026 fiscal year. The PoC is positioned as a key milestone toward realising open cross-docking and is expected to address a wide range of issues, including operational methods. ER