Why Is UPS Exploring The Use Of Drones?

United Parcel Service, Inc. UPS announced on Monday that its UPS Foundation formed a partnership with Zipline, a California-based robotics company and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance to jointly explore the use of drones to deliver life-saving medicines, blood and vaccines.

The UPS Foundation is a global leader in logistics and offers transportation of packages and freight.

An initial trial will begin in Rwanda. As part of the trial, the local government will use Zipline's drones to deliver life-saving medicines. The drone can make up to 150 deliveries per day to 21 transfusing facilities across the western half of the country.

The UPS Foundation will provide a grant of $800,000 in addition to logistical support for drone flights.

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"Public-private partnerships are the key to solving many of the world's challenges, with each partner contributing its unique expertise," said Eduardo Martinez, president of the UPS Foundation and chief diversity and inclusion officer at UPS. "UPS is always exploring innovative ways to enhance humanitarian logistics to help save lives, and we're proud to partner with Gavi and Zipline as we explore ways to extend the Rwandan government's innovations at a global scale."

"The inability to deliver life-saving medicines to the people who need them the most causes millions of preventable deaths each year. The work of this partnership will help solve that problem once and for all," said Zipline CEO Keller Rinaudo. "With the expertise and vision of UPS, Gavi and Zipline, instant drone delivery will allow us to save thousands of lives in a way that was never before possible."