The City of Jyväskylä, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team (TGR-WRT) and Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF) have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) towards future collaboration, aiming to achieve a carbon neutral, sustainable and diversified society through community development in harmony with people and nature.
The purpose of the Letter of Intent is for the three parties to identify joint initiatives in the short and medium/long term that will contribute to the realization of a carbon neutral, sustainable and diversified society, centered around a new TGR-WRT Development Center to be established in Jyväskylä, Finland.
The City of Jyväskylä is situated in the heart of the Central Finland lake district. With a population of 146,000 Jyväskylä is the seventh largest city in Finland and is one of Finland’s most popular cities to live in. Jyväskylä is considered the capital of sport in Finland, as well as being a youthful city with its dynamic universities and businesses.
TGR-WRT has been based near the city of Jyväskylä since Toyota returned to the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) in 2017, during which time it has built a strong relationship with the city.
The new TGR-WRT Development Center will not only play a central role in the operation of the WRC activities, but will also be a new base for developing ’ever better cars’ in Europe, utilising the variable surface test roads available in the Jyväskylä area. The Development Center will also aim to reduce the CO2 emitted by entire TGR-WRT’s WRC activities through decarbonizing and emissions reduction initiatives developed with the city of Jyväskylä and TMF and offset CO2 emissions through the introduction of wooden buildings with carbon storage benefits, forest protection through bio-diversity enrichment and continuous cover management, and private power generation facilities and mobility using hydrogen.
“This is a great day for our growing city. For Jyväskylä this partnership opens up new opportunities where the pursuit of sustainable development, a carbon-neutral future and data-driven mobility is concerned. In terms of its size, location and institutions of higher education, its competence base, Jyväskylä is an ideal partner as regards the development of future solutions”, says Mayor Timo Koivisto. We are also genuinely proud of the fact that one of the world’s largest car manufacturers, Toyota, is strengthening its presence in our city.”
Yuichiro Haruna, CEO of TGR-WRT, says: “Jyväskylä has been home to TGR-WRT for the past eight years and a big part of the success we have achieved. In realizing our new TGR-WRT Development Center here in Jyväskylä, we also want to be a good neighbour to the local community. Through the guidance of our Chairman, Akio Toyoda, we began discussion with the City of Jyväskylä and TMF to explore ideas in support of positive community development. With the signing of this LOI today, we start working together to plan, develop and realise these goals.”
Shigeru Hayakawa, Deputy Chairman of Board Directors of TMF, in turn says: “TMF is very much honored to have been given the opportunity to participate in the Community Creation Project here at Jyväskylä, where our World Rally Team is located. It is our priority to listen very carefully to the City’s intention, to contribute to create a community that harmonizes very well with people and nature. We sincerely hope to work together and realize the project that best fits with the characteristics of the City of Jyväskylä, the capital of sports, the culture and art, full of beautiful lakes and forests, and many promising students.”
About the Toyota Mobility Foundation
TMF was established in August 2014 by the Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) to support the development of a more mobile society in which everyone can move freely. The Foundation underscores TMC’s on-going commitment to continuous improvement and respect for people. It utilizes Toyota’s expertise and technologies to support strong mobility systems while eliminating disparities in mobility. TMF works in partnership with universities, governments, non-profits, research institutions and other organizations, creating programs that are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to address mobility issues around the world.
Original press release in English: https://toyotagazooracing.com/wrc/release/2023/0803-01/
Know more: https://toyotamobilityfoundation.org/
For more information:
- City of Jyväskylä, Mayor Timo Koivisto: tel. +358 50 336 2819, timo.koivisto@jyvaskyla.fi
- CEFMOF, Executive Director Haruka Arai: tel. +358 050 3316 290, haruka.arai@cefmof.org (in English)
