Waabi has teamed up with the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics (MIT CTL), becoming the first AV company to join the center’s Supply Chain Exchange, a group of companies seeking to advance their supply chains through leading-edge research at MIT CTL.
The autonomous driving company says partnering with MIT CTL will enable it to work alongside an elite group of thought leaders powering supply chain transformation, including leading manufacturers, distributors, retailers, transportation resources, carriers, 3PL providers and logistics service providers, to jointly build a roadmap for the future of logistics.
According to Waabi, its expertise in both autonomous trucks and next-generation AI will bring an essential AV perspective to future initiatives.
The partnership has launched with research initiatives around network optimization opportunities enabled by autonomous trucks and a deep dive into the future of logistics infrastructure, specifically what infrastructure will be required to deploy autonomous assets at scale.
The collaboration also includes organizing and leading an AV roundtable in early 2024, with Waabi providing the voice of AV in a conversation with partners across the logistics landscape on the future of autonomy in supply chains.
Dr David Correll, co-director at MIT FreightLab, said, “Autonomous trucking technology has the potential to dramatically change the way that supply chains function. Waabi’s approach to developing this technology is truly unique. We are excited to collaborate with the Waabi team to consider what an autonomous freight future could look like from every angle.”
Waabi states that joining the Supply Chain Exchange will enable it to help shape the way in which freight stakeholders successfully adopt autonomous technology.
For example, Waabi is working with Uber Freight, which includes deploying billions of miles of Waabi Driver capacity over the next 10 years, as well as an industry-first turnkey driver-as-a-service solution. The company states that its membership of MIT CTL’s Supply Chain Exchange will be valuable for informing lane expansions and ensuring that the company is building the best products for shippers and carriers.
“MIT is at the forefront of innovation across emerging technologies and critical industries, and freight is no different. We are firm believers in their leading role in and collaborative approach to transforming supply chains at scale. We look forward to being the voice of AV in this elite group committed to driving real change and shaping a safer, more sustainable, and more efficient future for logistics,” said Raquel Urtasun, CEO and founder of Waabi.