Business Diversification
New Business Enterprises
For a corporation to continue to grow while maintaining its vitality, developing new businesses is crucial.
Following a long history of continuous expansion into a variety of non-automotive fields, including housing, finance, and communications, Toyota entered automotive-related growth fields and the new mobility field in the mid-1980s. Then, in the late 1990s, Toyota also began to expand into business fields considered extremely promising in the 21st century, such as biotechnology, afforestation, the environment, and energy.
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Before 1984
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1985-2011
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---|---|---|---|---|---|
First period
(1985-1989) |
Second period
(1990?1995) |
Third period
(1996?2001) |
Fourth period
(2002?2011) |
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Areas
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Housing,
transportation, energy/resource conservation, resource/energy |
Growth areas around automobiles
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New mobility based fields
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Future growth areas
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Specified future growth areas that utilize Toyota's strength
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Major fields of focus
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Housing, natural resources and energy
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Engineering, FA, Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), communication, financing, semiconductors and biotechnology
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Marine and aerospace
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Biotechnology, marine, aerospace and entrepreneurial business
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Biotechnology, marine, and environment and energy
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1985-2011 New Business Enterprise Endeavors
The table below describes the history of business development at Toyota.
Year
|
Month
|
Description
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---|---|---|
1967
|
|
Future Industry Committee established inside the All-Toyota Technical Council to consider the housing and transportation fields
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1976
|
|
New Business Evaluation Group established inside the Corporate Planning Office
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1984
|
August
|
Future direction for housing business planned and suggested
|
November
|
Toyota invests in Daini Denden Inc.
|
|
1985
|
March
|
Decision made to promote the 1990s Project
|
1986
|
October
|
Toyota invests in International Telecom Japan Inc.
|
November
|
Toyota takes part in International Digital Communications Planning Inc.
|
|
December
|
Toyota invests in Tokyo Telecommunication Network Co., Inc.
|
|
1987
|
April
|
Toyota invests in Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
|
August
|
Toyota invests in Sanritz Automation Co., Ltd.
|
|
1988
|
January
|
Toyota acquires Japan Flying Service Co., Ltd.
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1989
|
April
|
Employees formally encouraged to submit new business ideas
|
June
|
Himawari Network Inc. established
|
|
August
|
Business Development Division established
|
|
1990
|
January
|
Toyota takes part in the Japan Heli Network Co. Ltd.
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January
|
Tahara Resort Development Co., Ltd. established
|
|
February
|
Admatechs Co., Ltd. established
|
|
May
|
Japan Logistics Development Co., Ltd. established
|
|
June
|
Land, sea, and air mobility fields set as Toyota's main targets
|
|
September
|
Toyota System Research Inc. established
|
|
September
|
Articles of incorporation changed to significantly expand target business areas
|
|
December
|
Toyota MACS, Inc. established
|
|
1991
|
January
|
New projects primarily based on employee suggestions promoted
|
January
|
Aerospace Business Planning Dept. established
|
|
February
|
Toyota Soft Engineering Inc. established
|
|
July
|
Toyota helps establish Nagoya Grampus Eight Inc.
|
|
August
|
BPA Incorporated established
|
|
August
|
MTA Incorporated established
|
|
November
|
Toyota System International Inc. established
|
|
November
|
Gamagori Marine Development Co., Ltd. established
|
|
1992
|
June
|
Toyota invests in Blue Nox Japan Inc.
|
June
|
Airflite Japan Corp. established
|
|
July
|
Overall aerospace business plan presented at senior directors' meeting
|
|
December
|
FM Nagoya Inc. established
|
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1993
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September
|
Toyota helps establish Life Creation Co., Ltd.
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October
|
Toyota Caelum Inc. established
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|
1994
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April
|
Automotive-related businesses reassessed
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April
|
Three working groups (covering people flow, logistics, and environment & energy) established for the Central Japan International Airport Project
|
|
November
|
Nagoya Dome Co., Ltd. established
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|
1995
|
January
|
Santepark Tahara established
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January
|
OEM Business Group established
|
|
February
|
Toyota Epoch Life established
|
|
May
|
Toyota begins building a framework (stock ownership by directors, entrepreneur recruitment, and venture fund) for promoting new business enterprises
|
|
July
|
First round of entrepreneur recruitment conducted
|
|
July
|
Central Japan International Airport Project:
Toyota begins considering active participation in an airport business entity |
|
1996
|
January
|
G-com Card System established
|
April
|
Toyota Digital Cruise Inc. established
|
|
April
|
Toyota helps establish Tacti Corporation
|
|
June
|
Management structure and rules for the Toyota venture fund established
|
|
August
|
Cartec Fuji Inc. established
|
|
October
|
Terra Corporation established
|
|
October
|
Turbine Machine Business Development Team inaugurated
|
|
December
|
Crest Homes Inc. established
|
|
December
|
Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd. established
|
|
1997
|
January
|
Unit Direct Sales Department established
|
January
|
Turbine business department established
|
|
January
|
The Airport Committee and the Expo Committee inaugurated for the Chubu Region Project
|
|
January
|
Second round of entrepreneur recruitment conducted
|
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February
|
Toyota invests in D&I systems Inc.
|
|
April
|
Toyota invests in Techno Venture Co., Ltd.
|
|
September
|
Toyota helps establish Toyota Modellista International Corporation
|
|
October
|
Blue Nox Japan Inc. liquidated
|
|
1998
|
April
|
Toyota Turbine and System established
|
April
|
Five areas for business enterprise establishment identified (electronics & semiconductors, communications, biotechnology, environment & energy, and senior citizen welfare)
|
|
June
|
Chubu Region Project:
Toyota gives a presentation to an airport business entity |
|
October
|
Plan proposed for Toyota's aerospace business
|
|
1999
|
April
|
Let's corporation established
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April
|
Project team to study commercialization of stationary fuel cells inaugurated
|
|
April
|
Chubu Region Project
-Toyota receives basic information communications plan and decides to participate in a heat-supply company |
|
November
|
Toyota invests in Lattice Technology Inc.
|
|
November
|
Toyota withdraws from D&I Systems Inc.
|
|
2000
|
April
|
Three high-priority areas identified (environment, energy, and seniors)
|
April
|
Future directions of Toyota's four high-priority companies confirmed (GKK, NSM, AAC, and TTS)
|
|
September
|
Centrair Energy Supply Co., Ltd. established
|
|
November
|
Toyota invests in Wellness Frontier Center Co., Ltd.
|
|
November
|
Fuji Speedway Corporation acquired
|
|
December
|
Chubu Region Project
- Toyota is unable to sell the project to the Expo |
|
2001
|
January
|
Engine and Component Sales Office transferred to the Purchasing Division
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March
|
Eco-Research Corporation established
|
|
June
|
Toyota invests in New Industry Creation Fund NIC
|
|
June
|
Bike Lab established
|
|
June
|
Toyota reassesses its existing businesses and determines new directions
|
|
July
|
Media Click Inc. established
|
|
July
|
Aerospace basic policy created; decision to specialize in engineering functions made
|
|
2002
|
April
|
Toyota reconstructs its new business strategy (reassessing the basic policy, identifying seven high-priority areas, and building a framework)
|
April
|
Companies requiring greater management focus (needing the clarification of issues and the creation of action plans for rebuilding) restructured
|
|
April
|
High-priority fields for commercialization examined (energy, environment, wellness, seniors, and cutting-edge fields)
|
|
June
|
Good Life Design Co., Ltd. established
|
|
July
|
Toyota invests in Centrair Information & Communications Network Co., Ltd.
|
|
November
|
Let's Corporation liquidated
|
|
December
|
Airplane development
- Toyota reduces the size of development work and shifts to R&D |
|
2003
|
January
|
Reorganization (changing the organizational structure from 'by field' to 'by-function') conducted
|
April
|
Businesses planned for providing locally rooted services in preparation for the oncoming retirement of baby boomers
|
|
June
|
Offices of the Business Development Division moved to the Nagoya Building
|
|
2005
|
January
|
Engine and Component Sales Office transferred from the Purchasing Division to the Business Development Division (reversing the transfer made in 2001)
|
2006
|
May
|
More products (engines and transaxles) added to the list of parts supplied to Lotus (Great Britain)
|
July
|
Toyota begins supplying engines and transmissions to Mitsuoka Motor Co., Ltd.
|
|
October
|
Toyota begins supplying hybrid systems to Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
|
|
October
|
MIKD engines sold to Nanni (France)
|
|
2007
|
January
|
The MIKD engine is installed in the Ponam (Japan's first pleasure craft powered by a common rail diesel engine)
|
April
|
Lively Platinum Club, an internal enterprise targeting active seniors, is founded
|
|
2008
|
October
|
2GR engine added to the list of engines and components supplied to Lotus (Great Britain)
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2009
|
January
|
TR engines added to the list of engines and components supplied to Jinbei (China)
|
2010
|
August
|
Operations of the Lively Platinum Club terminated
|
2011
|
October
|
Toyota and Central Motor Co., Ltd. commence examination towards implementation of "F-Grid Concept" project for the Second North Sendai Central Industrial Area
|