Grow with developing countries, including those in Africa, and endeavor to solve social issues through business operations
Toyota Tsusho undertakes local infrastructure development, industrial development, job creation, and other measures to solve social issues in developing countries in Africa and other regions through its automotive business and other business activities.
In Kenya, for example, we have been working as a strategic business partner of the country to support the realization of its national vision. Using this experience as a pilot model, we will promote the autonomy of the people who live there by developing basic infrastructure to improve living environments and providing opportunities for occupational training, while achieving the growth of Toyota Tsusho.
KPI
- Signing of MOUs with governments, institutions, and companies in African countries to continue to make new investments
- Support for the identification and growth of start-ups in the mobility and healthcare fields in Africa through Mobility54 and Health54*
- Establishment of a medical peripheral services company in India to contribute to the development of local healthcare by providing high-quality medical peripheral services for hospitals
- *Corporate venture capital specializing in start-ups in Africa, aiming to solve social issues and create next-generation businesses through investments in the mobility field (Mobility54) and healthcare field (Health54)
In March 2021, Toyota Tsusho, Toyota Motor Corporation, and B Medical Systems jointly obtained the World Health Organization (WHO)'s Performance, Quality and Safety (PQS) prequalification for refrigerated vehicles for transporting vaccines at the appropriate temperatures. This was the first time in the world the PQS prequalification was given to refrigerated vehicles for transporting vaccines.
In developing countries, approximately 20% of vaccines are discarded every year because of temperature changes during transport. This initiative is significant in that it contributes to the resolution of the social issue of ensuring effective utilization of vaccines in developing countries, and also demonstrates leadership in the transport sector related to global health, which has recently drawn increased awareness. The acquisition of PQS prequalification will also enable COVAX, an international framework aimed at equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to developing countries, to hopefully begin using the refrigerated vehicles based on the acquired PQS prequalification for transporting vaccines.
