Nikkei reports Aeon’s next-generation logistics hub to be 80% automated, in partnership with Mujin

Nikkei reported on Oct. 29, 2026, that Aeon plans to partner with startup Mujin and automate 80% of its next-generation logistics hub.

Nikkei’s headline puts the automation rate at 80%, but the information provided does not clarify what is included in that calculation. If the covered processes and measurement method are disclosed, automation at logistics hubs could be compared based on operations across processes, rather than simply on whether equipment has been installed.

The headline gives a figure of “80%,” but the information provided does not make clear whether the denominator is work processes, throughput or equipment within the hub. The figure alone therefore cannot be interpreted as a staff reduction rate or an increase in logistics capacity. The basis for evaluation will only be clear once the covered processes, calculation method and operating results are disclosed. For now, it is important not to equate the 80% figure with making the entire hub unmanned or eliminating 80% of its workforce. In a related article, we reported that Nikkei said on Oct. 1, 2026, that Exotec and Mujin proposed cutting logistics-system costs by 30% Nikkei reports Exotec and Mujin propose 30% cut in logistics-system costs. The article’s gist was that reducing labor around transport and picking would be a focus of warehouse automation. The headline in the latest report also gives an automation rate, but it is unclear whether the earlier cost-cutting proposal and the current hub plan refer to the same system or project, so the figures cannot be directly compared. What both raise is the question of which processes should be automated as an integrated whole, rather than simply whether individual pieces of equipment are installed. When assessing logistics automation, the questions include not only the scope of equipment installation, but also which parts of the flow of goods are mechanized and how handoffs between processes are designed. The information provided for this report, however, does not specify the hub’s location or size, when it will begin operations, which processes it will cover, its equipment configuration or its operating results. Without those details, it is not possible to assess what operational change the 80% figure represents or how it relates to costs or processing capacity. See the original source for details.