Research and Development Support

Organizations and Systems

Since the latter half of the 1980s, the capabilities of organizations ordered on functional lines according to specialized technical functions have increased in conjunction with the growth of personnel in product planning development and corporate R&D divisions. At the same time, operations within these organizations became increasingly segmentalized, and as a result, inefficiencies in vehicle development operational flows began to occur as functions intersected.

In the 1990s, operations and technical development functions were reinforced with the aim of reforming engineering divisions. In the 2000s, Toyota strengthened advanced development, fuel cell development, and design strategies.

Major changes to organizations and systems in engineering divisions are set forth below.

Year
Month
Events
1990
April
FP21 Program launched to reform engineering divisions
1991
January
Product Planning Development Organization, Planning, R&D, Technical Development, Information System, and Environmental Climate sections established and diverse measures investigated
1992
September
Center System introduced
1993
September
Higashi-Fuji Technical Center, which is responsible for advanced development, consolidated to reinforce technology development capabilities
2001
January
Power Train Development Center split into Powertrain Unit Development Center and Vehicle Advanced Development Center; Vehicle Advanced Development Organization renamed the Component & System Development Center
2002
January
FC Development Center established to consolidate the fuel cell development capabilities of engineering and production engineering divisions
2003
January
Design Group established by consolidating the design departments of Center 1 through 3
June
Group system introduced in all companies and groups and centers reorganized [End of June]
2005
November
Toyota Motor Corporation, Toyota Techno Service Corporation, Toyota Communication Systems Co., Ltd. (TCS), and Toyota Macs, Inc. agree to reorganize Toyota Technical Development Corporation, a product development company, and Toyota Communication Systems, an information system company, through a merger and absorption-type company split
2006
April
Toyota Technical Development Corporation (TTDC) established
2008
June
GI20 (Gijutsu Innovation 2020), a technology reform program, implemented to strengthen technology development capabilities
2011
June
Z Groups placed under direct control of the Product Planning Group and the Center System abolished

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