TOYOTA chooses Bilbao as home for Ideas Lab
Lab to work on ideas for vehicles of future in coordination with Bilbao Metropoli-30 and AIC-Automotive Intelligence Center | 30/11/2009Bilbao, 30.11.2009Toyota has chosen Bilbao as the home for its ideas laboratory, called Toyota Creative Lounge Bilbao, which will be working on new ideas, trends and concepts for future vehicles.
Toyota decided on Bilbao to play host to the Ideas Lab after it had evaluated the strategic orientation of Vizcaya and its metropolitan area. Company management were also very happy with local innovation in management, the ebullient creativity and its record in the automotive industry, which is currently developing a new business model at the AIC.
The Creative Lounge will be working in coordination with Bilbao Metropoli-30 and AIC to unearth new trends that will help Toyota take on board ideas for the future of the automotive industry in a range of related disciplines.
Founded in 2007 by Tetsuya Kaida, General Manager of the BR Corporate Value Creation Department, this Ideas Lab has already generated a remarkable variety of car prototypes in different materials.
TOYOTA is the worlds leading carmaker with nearly 9.5 million vehicles produced in 2008. It invested 7,610 million in R&D in that year.
Bilbao Metropoli-30 is a non-profit making association set up by public institutions and private business to promote knowledge and the image of Vizcaya and its metropolis, and take it on to the regional and international stage. It also promotes cooperation between the public and private sectors on the search for joint solutions to problems affecting Metropolitan Bilbao.
AIC-Automotive Intelligence Center is a foundation backed by the Vizcaya Provincial Council, the town councils of Amorebieta-Etxano and Ermua and a group of leading-edge businesses from the automotive industry. Run by Basque automotive cluster ACICAE, AIC addresses and works on knowledge, training, technology and industrial development activities designed to improve competitive levels in the Basque automotive industry through knowledge, research and B2B cooperation