Today, Toyota Motor Corporation Chairman of the Board of Directors (Chairman) Akio Toyoda addressed an audience of chairmen, presidents, and frontline leaders from 17 Toyota Group companies(1) (the Toyota Group) at the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology(2), reflecting on the company’s founding principles and outlining his vision for the Group’s future direction, “Inventing our path forward, together.” Chairman Toyoda also set forth five attitudes to be embraced by the Toyota Group employees.
As the automotive industry concept is being transformed by CASE*3 and other technological innovations, the Toyota Group is being revamped to deliver smiles and happiness to people around the world through a variety of mobility services. To achieve this goal, the Toyota Group has formulated a shared vision driven by Chairman Toyoda’s strong commitment to ensuring that all Group employees move toward the future with a common perspective and values. While originally planned for February 14, the birthday of company founder Sakichi Toyoda, the announcement was brought forward in light of recent irregularities at Group companies.
In presenting the new vision, Chairman Toyoda stated
“What I must do right now is show the direction that the Group should go in and create a place for the next generation to return to if they falter. In other words, what I must do is set forth a vision for the Group. The starting point of the Toyota Group is to make ever-better things that make many people happy; in other words, to invent. ‘Inventing our path forward, together.’ Under this vision, we all should embrace the spirit of invention within us, think of others, hone our skills, and continue to make the right things for them. In doing so, we will build a culture in which we can express gratitude to each other and become needed in the future. Today, at the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology, which can be considered our starting point, we made that pledge to each other. As the person responsible for the Toyota Group, I will lead the transformation, and hope that I can count on your continued support.”
The Toyota Group’s history began with Sakichi Toyoda’s invention of the Toyoda woodenn hand loom in 1890, and his subsequent founding of Toyoda Shoten. These efforts stemmed from Sakichi’s desire to make life easier for his mother. Thinking of others, learning, honing skills, making things, and bringing smiles to people’s faces―this passion for invention is the true starting point of the Toyota Group. Ever since, the Group has grown around the core mission of making people smile and contributing to society through monozukuri and invention. In the 1930s, Kiichiro Toyoda established Toyota Motor Co., Ltd., setting out to shift the Toyota Group’s focus from textiles to the automobile industry. He believed that “it is not just about making automobiles―with Japanese ideas and skills, we must create an automobile industry for Japan.” Together with many partners in parts, steel, rubber, and electronics, he laid the foundation for today’s auto industry.
Acknowledging this historical narrative, Chairman Toyoda concluded his presentation of the Group vision with the following words
“Inheriting the ambition of those who came before us, with the mobility business at our core, let’s bring smiles to the faces of people all over the world. Let’s create a future in which the children can dream more freely and prosperously. As members of the Toyota Group, let’s invent our path forward, together.”
(1) A facility established and operated jointly by the Toyota Group to impart upon younger generations the importance of both monozukuri and a spirit of research and creativity, thereby contributing to the development of society.
(2) 17 Toyota Group companies
- Toyota Industries Corporation
- Toyota Motor Corporation
- Aichi Steel Corporation
- JTEKT CORPORATION
- Toyota Auto Body Co., Ltd.
- Toyota Tsusho Corporation
- AISIN CORPORATION
- DENSO Corporation
- TOYOTA BOSHOKU CORPORATION
- TOYOTA FUDOSAN CO., LTD.
- TOYOTA CENTRAL R&D LABS., INC.
- Toyota Motor East Japan, Inc.
- Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
- Hino Motors, Ltd.
- Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd.
- Toyota Housing Corporation
- Toyota Motor Kyushu, Inc.
(3) An acronym representing new domains of technical innovation, standing for Connected, Autonomous/Automated, Shared, and Electric.
Topic: Press release summary