Toyota creates autonomous vehicle company to handle e-commerce and labor trends
Netherlands-based T-HIVE will serve as hub for autonomous forklifts, AGVs, and AMRs.
Forklift and automotive giant Toyota Industries Corporation (TICO) is creating a new company to focus on autonomous vehicles, pulling together resources from its many constituent companies to meet growing demand for automation driven by e-commerce growth, labor shortages, and the need for flexibility, the company said today.
The new “T-Hive B.V.” unit will be a global autonomous vehicle software development company created by combining the software products, partnerships, and innovations from TICO’s main group companies, Toyota L&F, Toyota Material Handling, Toyota Material Handling Europe, Raymond, Bastian, and Vanderlande.
Launching this month from a headquarters in the Netherlands, T-Hive will be led by CEO and Managing Director Léon Jansen. The division’s main focus will be to provide a seamless control system encompassing all AVs within TICO, such as automated guided forklifts (AGFs), automated guided vehicles (AGVs), and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs).
“Modern software developers experience the fine balance between making great quality software and meeting delivery deadlines every day,” Jansen said in a release. “Our combined solution portfolio will be introduced at logistics sites around the world, enabling TICO’s customers to enjoy the seamless movement, storage, and distribution of goods throughout their entire supply chains.”
According to TICO, T-Hive will coordinate all developments, leverage existing solutions for new market segments, and accelerate innovations globally to support TICO’s customer-facing companies.
“Due to the increasing demand for software development in all industries, securing personnel is also becoming a global challenge. Our new company, T-Hive, will create opportunities for us to work together across the Toyota Industries Group network," TICO Executive officer Norio Wakabayashi said in a release. "This decision highlights TICO’s commitment to remaining a leading player in the AV business and its investments accordingly.”