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
|