Toyota starts first Asia-Pacific research center in Australia

Toyota inaugurated on March 07, a research and development center in Melbourne, Australia, the auto giant's first such Asia-Pacific facility outside of Japan, saying the region's customers were getting more finicky. The Melbourne center will begin with 70 employees rising to around 120 by the end of 2007 who will adapt designs from the Japanese base for local markets, a Toyota Motor statement said. The Melbourne institute was set up to "better respond to the diversifying and ever-more-sophisticated needs of growing markets in Asia and Oceania," the statement said.
The world's second biggest automaker already has research and development centers in Japan, Europe and North America and a second facility for Asia in Thailand will begin operating in May. Toyota reported strong quarterly results last month in part due to strong sales, including of models launched on the Asian market.