Vietnamese JV set up to pursue shipping industry’s digital transformation with AI

January 7, 2026, by Nadja Skopljak

Singapore-based shipping company Ocean Network Express (ONE) and Japan’s MTI Ltd. have established a joint venture (JV) company in Vietnam with the aim of promoting digital transformation of operations and business models in the shipping industry by using artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

Established in December 2025, QUAVEO Company Limited is located in Ho Chi Minh City, has a capital of $1.6 million, and is being led by CEO Ichiro Igari, Managing Executive Officer at MTI.

MTI holds a 51% share in the JV, with ONE holding 49%.

According to the partners, QUAVEO was established to realize problem-solving and new value creation for customers, including the shipping industry, by leveraging ONE’s knowledge and practical experience in the container shipping industry and MTI’s know-how in AI-utilized human resource development.

The company will promote the development of AI talent familiar with customer operations and the rapid development and introduction of AI solutions that function effectively on the front lines.

“MTI has strengthened the AI development and data science team launched at our Vietnamese subsidiary, MTI Technology, and has proceeded with business implementation mainly for our own services. In that process, we met ONE and gained the opportunity to utilize our AI development capabilities in real businesses that move people, goods, and money on a large scale,” Igari said.

“Currently, the ability to flexibly conceive ideas from a business perspective regarding AI technology, which is evolving at an unprecedented speed, is required in the market. In the new company, we will create results in the container shipping and healthcare businesses and realize business transformation through the latest AI technology for a wider range of client companies.”

The JV’s business activities will include the realization of operational improvements using AI, such as the sophistication of vessel allocation plans and equipment operation, and the efficiency of logistics processes, the automation of inquiry responses by AI and the provision of personalized services tailored to customer needs, as well as the promotion of automation for back-office operations and routine tasks.

Furthermore, the company will focus on supporting the development of AI talent at client companies and the construction of sustainable digital transformation promotion systems by utilizing the training know-how cultivated by MTI, and the expansion of AI contract development and data utilization support services targeting not only the shipping industry but also distribution, manufacturing, and other industries.

“ONE has built a strong relationship with MTI over many years, and as a result, we have already developed multiple solutions in-house. In the container shipping industry, the need for service quality improvement and operational efficiency utilizing AI and LLM is rapidly increasing,” said Kenichi Michida, Senior Vice President at ONE.

“Through the establishment of this new company, we intend to introduce highly competitive AI/LLM solutions that meet these needs more rapidly and on a larger scale than ever before, and actively proceed with securing excellent AI talent.”