The two car manufacturer brands that Ron Brooks currently represent, Toyota and Suzuki, are exploring ways in which to collaborate in the future, specifically with regards to the environmental, safety and IT aspects of their respective businesses.
Because of the ever-changing and rapidly moving environment in which the automotive industry operates, both Toyota and Suzuki recognise that they can both be stronger by working together, with Toyota acknowledging the fact that they may be behind some competitors in North America and Europe with regards to standardisations and partnerships with other companies.
Suzuki, who develop highly price-competitive vehicles thanks to their increasingly refined technology systems, is beginning to feel “a sense of uncertainty” with regards to advanced technology research and development. Toyota invest heavily in R&D, particularly in the fields of environment, safety and IT.
All discussions are based on the condition that both companies remain competing with each other in a fair and totally independent manner.
Chairman of Suzuki, Osamu Suzuki, said: “Toyota is the industry-leading and the most reliable company actively working on various advanced and future technologies. I am appreciative that Suzuki is able to start discussions with Toyota to explore ideas on a partnership. I first spoke about this possibility with Toyota’s Honorary Chairman Shoichiro Toyoda, and am very grateful that President Akio Toyoda has also showed an interest. We will proceed with discussions for the future of Suzuki.”
Toyota President Akio Toyoda said: “As the environment which surrounds the automobile industry has been changing drastically, we need to have the ability to respond to changes in order to survive. In addition to the R&D which each company is working on individually, it is very important now to have partners who share the same goal and passion. We would like always to keep our doors open for new partnership opportunities, which will contribute to the making of ever-better cars, as well as to the development of the automotive industry.”
It will be interesting from our point of view moving forward to seeing how the two brands work together to
