The future of transport built by diverse partnerships

Japan’s rapidly aging population presents serious challenges, and among them are issues surrounding the transit of people and goods, such as preserving local public transit networks and addressing supply chain bottlenecks. Sompo Group is leveraging its deep expertise in insurance and risk management to expand our suite of next-generation mobility solutions called SOMPO MobineX in close collaboration with diverse external partners. Here, we spotlight four landmark initiatives driving this transformation.

One-stop service for public ridesharing

Amid an aging society and shrinking regional populations, public ridesharing has emerged as a promising lifeline for localized mobility. However, because rideshare services rely on everyday civilian drivers, critical hurdles remain in safety education, accident response, and ongoing fleet management.

To address these hurdles, Sompo Japan partnered with Mitsuba Mobility to launch an integrated, one-stop service covering system rollout, driver assistance, fleet management, and specialized insurance. This offering blends Mitsuba Mobility’s hands-on expertise in transit oversight and training with Sompo Japan’s insurance solutions and commercial telematics dashcam service, “Smiling Road.” As part of this rollout, the partners introduced the “Public Rideshare Training Package,” delivering accident-prevention video modules, incident/claim handling instruction, pre-launch driver training, and tailored one-on-one coaching.

Connecting telematics data to streamline fleet operations

Managing commercial vehicle fleets involves an extensive administrative burden, from logging daily trip records to compiling weekly and monthly operational reports. Sompo Japan has partnered with Auto Business Service (ABS) to link Sompo Japan’s commercial telematics dashcam service, “Smiling Road,” with ABS’s specialized Fleet Management Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) service.

In August 2026, the service added an automated reporting feature where ABS generates daily and monthly driving logs directly from Smiling Road telematics data. Fleet managers can access these reports through a dedicated portal in user-friendly formats. By eliminating manual input errors and omissions while converting reliable driving records into actionable safety and fleet intelligence, the collaboration substantially eases administrative workloads for fleet supervisors.

Pairing autonomous EVs with peace of mind and safety

In October 2025, Sompo Japan entered into a business alliance with Pixel Intelligence, an autonomous electric vehicle (EV) developer. By combining Pixel Intelligence’s “RoboBus” autonomous electric shuttle and remote monitoring systems with Sompo Group’s comprehensive autonomous driving support package, “SOMPO ALCS,” the partnership is accelerating the social implementation of safe, reliable autonomous mobility. SOMPO ALCS brings risk assessments, dedicated autonomous driving insurance, and emergency response frameworks to the package.

RoboBus is designed not just as a vehicle, but as an experiential mobility space capable of creating new value in tourism, sightseeing, and community services. Real-world validation is underway across Japan, including a mobile sightseeing trial in Meiwa Town, Mie Prefecture. In June 2026, the vehicle obtained official approval for public road trials. This partnership is establishing comprehensive maintenance and service networks to ensure safe, dependable long-term fleet operation nationwide.

Partnering with municipalities for autonomous transit

To support residents affected by bus route reductions resulting from driver shortages, Kawasaki City is carrying out “KAWASAKI L4 Bus Project.” The city’s initiative targets Level 4 autonomous driving (defined as a system performing all dynamic driving tasks and responding to situations where it is difficult to continue operating in limited areas) in complex, high-traffic urban settings. Ensuring sustained service over time demands more than technological capability; it requires cultivating social acceptance among residents and establishing robust operational and insurance structures. Sompo Japan supports the city’s project by applying its risk analytics and institutional design capabilities to address systemic questions, including alignment with conventional auto insurance policies from angles that public institutions and transit operators might otherwise overlook.

Our collaboration with Sompo Group extends far beyond conventional insurance frameworks. Partnering together to design the systemic mechanisms that will anchor autonomous transit in our society has been immensely valuable.

Naoto Fujishima
Manager of Autonomous Driving Bus Promotion
Transportation Policy Office, City Planning Bureau, Kawasaki City

Through partnerships like this, Sompo Group will continue collaborating closely with Kawasaki City and other municipalities across Japan to co-create forward-looking frameworks for public transit.

Photo credit: Kawasaki City

Photo credit: Kawasaki City

Uniting diverse strengths to solve the mobility equation

While the initiatives highlighted here span varied sectors, collaborative models, and operational hurdles, they share a fundamental philosophy: tackling systemic mobility challenges that no single organization can resolve alone by connecting distinct technologies, services, and operational know-how directly to the needs of communities and enterprises. As the transportation landscape continues to evolve, SOMPO MobineX will harness its core strengths in risk analytics, safety management, and data-driven insurance to build an accessible, secure, and sustainable mobility future alongside forward-thinking partners.