Movement typically means traveling from one place to another, but it can also signify enhancing the well-being of others. Toyota Woven City aims to support inventors and residents in achieving this broader goal.
The Japanese automotive giant has announced the creation of an urban space designed to foster creativity and innovation. This initiative is expected to empower individuals to develop and test new inventions that benefit the wider community.
A Living Laboratory for Innovation
Residents of Toyota Woven City will have the unique opportunity to integrate their creations into daily life and provide valuable feedback. This collaborative environment will help produce products and services that extend beyond the immediate community.
How Will Toyota Woven City Operate?
According to the official website, Woven City will be “a place for inventors to embrace challenges as opportunities to ‘fail fast’ and kaizen (improve).”
Situated in Susano City, Shizuoka Prefecture, the site is a former Toyota Motor East Japan, Higashi-Fuji plant. Construction is set for completion in 2024, with a soft launch scheduled for 2025. Initial residents will be Toyota employees, and the population will eventually grow to 360 people.
Components of Woven City
Woven City will feature two main areas: the Woven Test Course and the Woven Inventor Garage. The Test Course will function like a real-life city, allowing residents to test and provide feedback on new inventions in various settings such as streets, offices, and plazas.
The Woven Inventor Garage will offer state-of-the-art hardware and software to support inventors. Toyota will also facilitate “co-creation activities, such as research that incorporates diverse data and real-time feedback from potential users.”
Vision for the Future
Daisuke Toyoda, head of Toyota Woven City management, emphasizes that the project is designed to enhance mobility for people’s well-being. It aims to develop innovations that enable individuals to advance their lives.
This initiative aligns with founder Sakichi Toyoda’s Mission, Vision, and Purpose, particularly the Vision of Creating Mobility for All. Toyota’s goal is to improve the quality and accessibility of mobility, creating new opportunities for humanity while fostering a sustainable relationship with our planet.