The largest beverage company in the world – Ambev – anticipates 5G technology to start delivery via drones in Brazil. The partnership is with Speedbird Aero

With an eye on the future, the largest beverage company in the world, Ambev, anticipates the implementation of 5G in Brazil and closes a partnership with Speedbird Aero for the delivery of beverages via drone. The first deliveries will be carried out with the DLV2 drone, which supports up to 8 kg of cargo.

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The project still needs approval from the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac), and should operate on predefined routes. The location where the test flights are to take place has not yet been selected.

Ambev's partner company, Speedbird Aero, is headquartered in Franca, São Paulo, and was founded by administrator Manoel Coelho and engineer Samuel Salomão.

The partners created Speedbird Aero after seeing the potential of the delivery business with Unmanned Flying Vehicles (UAV) in Brazil. The company has experimental certification from Anac, but expects to obtain full certification for flight in August, which will also allow the signing of commercial contracts.

Starts dispute between the giant beverage producers Coca Cola and Heineken with Ambev in the Brazilian market

Coca Cola announced an agreement with Heineken to remodel its distribution network in Brazil and puts the multinational Ambev, the largest beverage company in the world, in a tight fight.

The agreement between the Heineken Group and the Coca-Cola distribution system in Brazil announced on Wednesday, the 24th, puts an end to an impasse that extends since the purchase of Brasil Kirin, by the Dutch brewery, in 2017.

The partnership between the giants Heineken and Coca Cola will come into force in the middle of this year and will be valid until 2026, but there is the possibility that it will be extended for another five years.

About the increase in competition, Ambev thinks it is too early to comment. “From our point of view, the Brazilian market has always been competitive. This was announced yesterday and it is still too early to say the impacts. We prefer to look at what we control. Our distribution network has operated very well. It is a well-oiled machine created over decades,” said Lucas Lira, the company’s financial director, to Estadão/Broadcast.

The era of drone deliveries has arrived in Brazil: IFood receives approval from Anac to start operations

IFood received an endorsement from the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) to carry out experimental flight tests using drones. The tests aim to reduce the delivery time of meals.

The first flights will take place in October, in the interior of São Paulo, in the city of Campinas. However, drones will not deliver to customers' homes. First, the new technology will make the first part of the routes and a courier will finish. The test will be a 400-meter route in a food court and a structure of the IFood application itself, which will route orders.

According to the company, the delivery with the drone to the delivery person will take 2 minutes (this same stretch being done on foot is 12 minutes long). Shortly after the arrival of orders using drones, the last part is delivered by delivery drivers.

Roberto Gandolfo, Ifood's vice president of Logistics, told Reuters: "Our primary objective is to use the drone to bring more efficiency to the logistics operation."