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

    Vegetation planted on the north
    building wall of Tressa Yokohama

  • Hirose Plant

    Hirose Plant