Toyota Mobility Foundation Selects Eight Teams as 2022 Finalists in the “Mobility for ALL” Category of its Idea Contest

TOKYO, Dec 16, 2022 – (JCN Newswire) – Aiming to realize an “even-better mobility society,” the Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF) has been implementing the Make a Move PROJECT (https://mobility-contest.jp/) since June of this year. A contest, the project aims to implement ideas and solutions in society together with people who have a range of experience and know-how. With a focus on motorsports, in the “Mobility for ALL–Bring the Possibility of Mobility to Everyone” category, ideas for allowing anyone, regardless of the existence of a disability, etc., to enjoy watching motorsports were collected. In October, the 17 teams that passed the first screening round conducted trials to demonstrate the practical societal application of their ideas at locations in Okayama Prefecture, such as the Super Taikyu Race venue.

We would like to announce the results of the trials conducted by these 17 teams in Okayama and the new initiatives planned for 2023. The following eight teams were selected based on sustainability and the perspectives of the parties concerned. Each of the eight teams will be awarded a maximum of 20 million yen (for a total of approximately 100 million yen) to work toward the societal implementation of their ideas, with verification tests planned for motorsports venues in 2023.

Additionally, TMF will seek new ideas through open calls in 2023, aiming to expand the community of people who compete against and help each other.

The “Mobility for ALL–Bring the Possibility of Mobility to Everyone” category for this contest opened for entry submissions in June of this year. To generate ideas that solve mobility issues within race circuit venues and moving to and from circuit venues so that everyone, regardless of disability, can enjoy motorsports, we released a video (https://youtu.be/BnZfkrw5DWY) of people with visual, hearing, and physical disabilities sharing their thoughts and feelings of the circuit venue.

We received more than one hundred entries from Japan and abroad, and 17 teams passed our initial screening, which was based on the perspectives of the parties concerned, the innovativeness of the proposals, and the opinions of external experts. Each team was awarded a grant of up to 15 million yen to conduct demonstration trials at the Okayama International Circuit and other locations in October. During the demonstration trials, we received feedback from more than 100 participants.

Since its founding, the Toyota Motor Corporation has conducted its business activities with the aim of creating a prosperous society through automobiles while respecting all stakeholders, including customers, business partners, employees, and the local communities in which it operates. Accordingly, TMF was established in August 2014 to conduct activities that benefit the public good.

Aiming to realize a mobility society in which everyone can move about freely, TMF is working to solve mobility issues around the world through a diverse range of projects. Going forward, the Toyota Group, working in cooperation with various partners and utilizing the technologies and knowhow it has cultivated through its business activities, will continue to promote undertakings that are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while contributing to the realization of a society where people can lead rich and fulfilling lives.

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