Society is changing at unprecedented speeds, as exemplified by carbon neutrality initiatives and the advance of digital transformation, and there are similarly unprecedented expectations for innovative technologies. The fusion of technologies across industry boundaries is becoming increasingly important, as is already happening in the digital domain.

For these reasons, there is a growing need to create vast, virtuous cycles by nurturing the seeds of outstanding technologies in society, linking them to economic value, and recycling them into new technologies that will inspire further innovations.

Aware of such a need, Advanced Technology Acceleration Corporation (ATAC) and Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) launched a new joint initiative in May 2021, entitled Innovative Technology Acceleration Platform (ITAP), with the goal of contributing to the research, development, and social implementation of outstanding technologies in Japan.

ATAC is a company that takes a hands-on approach in supporting the commercialization of advanced technologies, such as incubating startups and engaging in industry-academia collaborations through its extensive networks with universities and research organizations and knowledge of technology incubation. Toyota is engaged in cutting-edge technological research in the field of mobility and beyond, and boasts expertise and networks cultivated through TPS and other manufacturing processes.

ITAP fuses the knowledge and networks of the two companies with the goal of providing extraordinarily dynamic and agile support for the exploration, social implementation, and commercialization of innovative technologies. The Platform will provide support to universities, research organizations, and tech startups in wide-ranging fields, including carbon neutrality, materials, robots, human augmentation*1, energy, semiconductors, AI, and digital.

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