Nippon Steel Trading Corporation (hereinafter referred to as “our company”) has established an exclusive sales agreement in Japan with Skygauge Robotics (hereinafter referred to as “Skygauge”)¹, a Canadian company engaged in the design, manufacture, and sale of non-destructive inspection drones.
In Japanese society, against a backdrop of labour shortages, the demand for labour-saving and efficiency improvements is growing, accelerating the adoption of advanced technologies like robots and drones. Among these, the infrastructure and facility inspection sector is the most promising area for drone utilisation, with the domestic market size projected to reach ¥105.3 billion in fiscal 2024 and nearly double to ¥208.8 billion by fiscal 2028.²
Skygauge, with whom we have signed an exclusive sales agreement, is an industry-leading company that developed the world’s first commercially available drone capable of performing contact-based non-destructive testing (such as ultrasonic flaw detection).³ Skygauge’s drones feature non-destructive inspection capabilities that precisely measure internal defects and deterioration using probes attached to the drone’s tip, without damaging the target object. The drones have already been deployed in Canada, the United States, Australia, Middle Eastern countries, and other regions worldwide, establishing a global customer base.
Traditionally, ultrasonic testing for infrastructure inspections and other high-altitude tasks involved dangerous manual labour and scaffold setup, posing challenges such as worker safety concerns, high costs, and significant time requirements. The introduction of drones enables these tasks to be performed safely and efficiently, significantly contributing to solving issues like labour shortages, cost reduction, and lowering operational risks.
Nippon Steel Technology Co., Ltd., part of the Nippon Steel Group, has already introduced Skygauge drones for ultrasonic plate thickness surveys on high-altitude structures within steelworks and is advancing verification toward practical implementation. Expanded use across all inspection operations, particularly in infrastructure and energy sectors, is anticipated.
Through an exclusive sales agreement with Skygauge, our company will actively promote the adoption and expansion of drone-based non-destructive inspection solutions in the Japanese market. We will also contribute to solving societal challenges such as improving productivity and addressing labour shortages.
¹ Skygauge Overview (www.skygauge.co)
² Drone Business Research Report 2025 [Infrastructure & Facility Inspection Edition]
³ Skygauge Research
Inquiries regarding this release:
Corporate Communications Section
General Affairs & Corporate Communications Department
Nippon Steel Trading Corporation
TEL: +81-3-6772-5003 FAX: +81-3-6772-5401
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