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.

 
Before 1984
1985-2011
First period
(1985-1989)
Second period
(1990?1995)
Third period
(1996?2001)
Fourth period
(2002?2011)
Areas
Housing,
transportation,
energy/resource conservation,
resource/energy
Growth areas around automobiles
New mobility based fields
Future growth areas
Specified future growth areas that utilize Toyota's strength
Major fields of focus
Housing, natural resources and energy
Engineering, FA, Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), communication, financing, semiconductors and biotechnology
Marine and aerospace
Biotechnology, marine, aerospace and entrepreneurial business
Biotechnology, marine, and environment and energy

1985-2011 New Business Enterprise Endeavors

1985-2011 New Business Enterprise Endeavors

The table below describes the history of business development at Toyota.

Year
Month
Description
1967
 
Future Industry Committee established inside the All-Toyota Technical Council to consider the housing and transportation fields
1976
 
New Business Evaluation Group established inside the Corporate Planning Office
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.
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.
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
1993
September
Toyota helps establish Life Creation Co., Ltd.
October
Toyota Caelum Inc. established
1994
April
Automotive-related businesses reassessed
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
1995
January
Santepark Tahara established
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
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
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
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)
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