Toyota Motor Chairman Akio Toyoda disclosed on Monday CES 2025 His vision for a living laboratory full of startups and technology. His message: The Woven City — a prototype city on a 175-acre site at the foot of Japan's Mount Fuji — is open for business and looking for innovators.
“Today, I am speaking to anyone in any corner of the world, motivated or excited to make a difference. Make a change or calculate it. Please consider this your official invitation to join us in the Woven City,” Toyoda said on stage. Toyoda said Monday that Oven City is preparing to launch in the fall of 2025 or later.
This summer, the company is launching a pitch competition and will offer scholarships in the Woven City to “startups or individuals who need financial support to bring their ideas to life,” Toyoda said.
Toyoda was the first to share his vision Five years ago At CES 2020. The plan, then, was to build a kind of utopian city where people would live and work within the project, including Toyota's autonomous e-pallet shuttle and robots.
But Toyoda's vision has since expanded. While on stage, he touched on electric air taxis – specifically mentioning Joby Aviation, which recently 500 million dollars invested In — autonomous vehicle technology, and rockets. yes, the rocket.
Surprisingly, Toyoda isn't even sure if this effort will make money.
“I know what you're thinking about the woven city, will Toyota get any money?” Toyoda asked the audience. “Well, maybe not, but that's right, because as a global citizen, I believe Toyota has a responsibility to invest in our collective future, share what we've learned with others and support new ideas.”
The company broke ground on the project in February 2021 at the former site of Toyota Motor East Japan's Higashi-Fuji plant in Susono City. The first phase includes buildings designed for “co-creation” activities. Toyoda said on stage Monday that employees, scientists, entrepreneurs as well as retirees will be invited to live in the Woven City.
Toyota is renovating a former TMEJ Higashi-Fuji plant facility into a manufacturing facility. Workers are preparing a site for Phase 2. However, it likely won't launch for some time as the company plans to take what it learned from Phase 1 to help refine its plans for future development.
Some innovators have already joined the Woven City, including WbyTas well as external companies, startups, and individual entrepreneurs. According to the company, Bona City is in ongoing discussions with previously announced companies such as ENEOS Corporation, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation and Renai Corporation.