Toyota to strengthen its R&D organisation structure globally

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) and subsidiary Toyota Technical Development Corporation (TTDC) have agreed to reorganize TTDC January 1, 2016, integrating TTDC’s vehicle R&D business, which includes vehicle engineering, testing and prototype-building, along with approximately 5,000 TTDC employees, into TMC. TTDC will continue its business of measuring-instrument development, data analysis, and other such R&D support functions.

Since TTDC’s establishment in 2006 as TMC’s technological development partner, TTDC has played a key role in vehicle development. TMC and TTDC have had separately defined development responsibilities, with TMC responsible mainly for discovering new R&D advancements, such as cutting-edge and foundation-making technologies, and TTDC mainly being in charge of furthering development of existing technologies.

The agreement between TMC and TTDC aims to achieve optimal R&D management in both companies. The reorganization will enable TMC to streamline a comprehensive vehicle-development structure for the enhancement of its efforts, such as TNGA (Toyota New Global Architecture, a new framework for developing ever-better cars that blends planning and design), in making better cars to achieve sustainable growth. Furthermore, the carmaker says concentrating respective R&D personnel under one organization will help bring out the fullest in employee abilities and stimulate personal growth.

The reorganization will also enable TTDC to focus solely on development support and effectively utilise its accumulated practical expertise. TTDC will be able to expand its services to support other members of the Toyota Group, thus helping to strengthen the vehicle development capabilities across the entire group.