Under group supervision
Toyota puts robotics at heart of manufacturing strategy with new division
Toyota is establishing a dedicated robotics division to accelerate the development and deployment of industrial robots. Reporting directly to its production chief, the new unit aims to bring robotics expertise closer to the factory floor.
Toyota is expanding robotics into a central business field. As part of a comprehensive reorganisation, the Japanese car manufacturer is creating the new unit “Toyota Robotics” as of 1 January 2027, which will report directly to Chief Production Officer Takefumi Shiga. The aim is to consolidate the robotics expertise that has so far been distributed across the company and to significantly accelerate the development and practical deployment of robots.
According to information from the group, robotics is to play a supporting role in the corporate strategy in future. In doing so, the Japanese company wants to build on the experience from vehicle development and production. “Toyota will position robotics as a key pillar of its future business,” the statement says. Robots are not intended to replace human work, but rather to “expand people's potential as partners alongside them”.
New robotics division under direct group supervision
The new organisational unit will be headed by Takefumi Shiga, who also serves as Chief Production Officer. In future, Toyota Robotics is to bring together robotics-related expertise, employees and functions from various areas of the company. The focus is on faster industrialisation, commercialisation and the operational deployment of robotics solutions.
Toyota justifies the step with the aim of developing new forms of collaboration between humans and machines. The robotics activities are intended in particular to be closely interlinked with the requirements of the production sites. Findings from the manufacturing plants are to flow directly into the development of new applications.
Restructuring of the group structure
The establishment of the robotics division is part of a more comprehensive restructuring of the group organisation. At the same time, Toyota is setting up a new education and philosophy unit, which will be led by Chairman of the Supervisory Board Akio Toyoda, and is combining administrative, human resources and finance functions in a new organisation called “Kanri Group”. In addition, several research and development areas are being integrated into existing business units. Furthermore, Toyota has appointed a number of new persons responsible for the markets in the USA, China and other Asian regions.
Toyota raises profit forecast
In parallel with the organisational realignment, Toyota has raised its expectations for the current financial year. The world’s largest car manufacturer now expects an operating result of 3.9 trillion yen (around 21.9 billion euros). Until now, the group had assumed 3.4 trillion yen.
Toyota attributes the improved forecast to an easing in material costs, overcome production interruptions as a result of earthquakes and flooding, as well as positive currency effects due to the weak yen. In addition, the persistently high demand for hybrid vehicles is supporting the business.
The group is also expecting better results for net profit than previously forecast. The sales forecast, by contrast, was lowered slightly: instead of just under 11.2 million vehicles, Toyota is now expecting around 11 million vehicles sold worldwide.
In the first half of the financial year, Toyota increased revenue by just under ten per cent to around 27 trillion yen, with sales volume remaining almost stable. Operating result rose to 2.19 trillion yen, while the operating margin remained stable at 8.1 per cent. On the bottom line, the group achieved a profit of 2.24 trillion yen and thus more than a quarter more than in the same period last year. The share reacted positively to the figures and at times gained around 14 per cent.
