Business Diversification
Biotechnology and Afforestation Business
Treating 'environmental mitigation' as one of the major issues facing the world and also as an excellent growth opportunity, Toyota established the Biotechnology and Afforestation Business Department in 1998.
In the following year, Toyota built the Toyota Biotechnology and Afforestation Laboratory, establishing a solid R&D structure, and has since been promoting agricultural and biotechnology businesses.
Toyota's initiatives in these areas have spanned a wide range, including the founding of several biotechnology-related companies, the implementing of a desertification prevention project in China as part of its social contribution activities, and the constructing of a plant and the conducting of verification test to promote wider use of bioplastic parts.
In this way, Toyota is striving to merge environmental preservation with economic growth by developing biotechnologies and greenification technologies.
Year
|
Month
|
Description
|
---|---|---|
1997
|
November
|
Proposal for full-scale consideration of biotechnology business submitted to and approved by the Top Executive Meeting
|
1998
|
January
|
Biotechnology and Afforestation Business Department established inside the Business Development Division
|
August
|
Australian Afforestation Pty. Ltd. established
|
|
1999
|
May
|
Biotechnology and Afforestation Laboratory completed
|
October
|
Toyota Floritech Co., Ltd. established
|
|
2000
|
August
|
The Biotechnology & Afforestation Business Division becomes independent
|
2001
|
January
|
Afforestation project started to combat desertification in China
|
April
|
P.T. Toyota Bio Indonesia established
|
|
April
|
Toyota Roof Garden Co., Ltd. established
|
|
December
|
Full-scale development of biodegradable plastic technologies begins
|
|
2002
|
January
|
Sichuan TOYOTA Nitan Development Co., Ltd. established
|
June
|
Sichuan TOYOTA Nitan Development Co., Ltd. established
|
|
2003
|
March
|
Sale of trees that are highly effective in improving the environment begins
|
May
|
Decision made to use Toyota-made polylactic acid in automobile parts
|
|
May
|
P.T. Toyota Bio Indonesia begins production
|
|
2004
|
April
|
Phase 2 afforestation in China begins
|
2005
|
January
|
Sale of resource-saving turf grass begins
|
March
|
Several biotechnology-related products exhibited at EXPO 2005 Aichi Japan
|
|
2006
|
February
|
Toyota receives the Corporate Philanthropy Award Special Prize for its afforestation activities in China
|
July
|
Composting promotion business started
|
|
October
|
Production and marketing of low-maintenance turf mat for roof gardens begins
|
|
2007
|
September
|
Tropical forest regeneration project started in the Philippines
|
2008
|
May
|
21st Century Greater Beijing Afforestation Center established as the human resource training base for afforestation in China
|
2009
|
December
|
Toyota obtains a gold rating under the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Project Design Standards (CCB standards) for its afforestation activities in the Philippines
|
2010
|
August
|
Phase 2 afforestation in the Philippines begins
|
2011
|
October
|
Biotechnology and afforestation business initiatives announced; - A new strain of yeast that will play an important role in the fermentation process for producing cellulosic ethanol, "Smart Green Parking", for the greening of parking areas, and a new wire-based "Smart Green Wall" newly announced
|
-
Vegetation planted on the north
building wall of Tressa Yokohama -
Hirose Plant