Changing the Automobile Industry into a Mobility Industry: The Return of Traditional Japanese Industrial Policies?

Résumé:

Changing the Automobile Industry into a Mobility Industry: The Return of Traditional Japanese Industrial Policies?

Focus, Contents and Context of the Study (Presentation):

Ten years ago in 2015, the Japanese Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) presented its first mobility study titled “Automated Driving Vision”, which provided the basis for JAMA’s short-term “Mobility Vision 2030”,which was published in 2018. In the same year, industry leader Toyota announced that it will change the company’s business model from being an automobile producer to becoming a provider of future mobility solutions. Reacting towards the announcement of Japan’s government in October 2020 to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, JAMA reviewed its approach to future mobility concepts entirely and presented its long term “Mobility Vision 2050”.

In October 2023, the head organization of Japanese Employers, Keidanren, set up a “Mobility Commission”led by Tokura Masakazu, chairman of Keidanren, Arima Kouji, CEO of Denso Corp., and Toyoda Akio, former CEO of Toyota and former head of JAMA. In November 2023 the commission presented its report titled:“Mobility Industry – Future Perspectives and Tasks”. Reacting particular to declining market shares of Japanese manufacturers in South-East Asia (ASEAN) and in the market for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) the report demands a new automobile policy focusing on three main aspects: The first is ‘ increasing national investments in response to the global competition for investment’, the second is ‘strengthening international competitiveness’, and the third is ‘developing the automobile industry into a mobility industry’.

In particular the report sets out 7 priorities government and industry need to work together. These are: (1) High value adding and improving efficiency regarding logistics, commercial and mobility activities (2) developing the social infrastructure to promote the spread of EVs (3) ensuring the international competitiveness of domestic batteries and semiconductors (4) securing stable procurement of key resources and the construction of a robust supply-chain network (5) trade policies that promote domestic investment (6) access to competitive clean energy and (7) the provision of systems for data collaboration and parts traceability across various industries. (Keidanren Times: Policy and Action, 2.11.2023, No. 3611

https://www.keidanren.or.jp/journal/times/2023/1102_03.html)

Explicitly referring to the Keidanren commission report, in January 2025, JAMA presented a completely new “Vision 2035”, which for the first time pointed to specific projects that aim at realizing the long-term mobility “revolution” “Mobility Vision 2050”! This new mid-term industry plan is in particular interesting, since its pursues a multi-path approach to CO2 net zero with many new cooperations exceeding car manufacturers. (JAMA Vision 2035: https://www.jama.or.jp/release/news_release/2025/2959/)

Following up on my GERPISA presentations 2023 “From Automobile Industry to Mobility Industry? TOYOTA and Japan’s automobile industry and mobility policies” (publication: Bungsche, H. (2023) ‘‘2022 – the first year of the EV era in Japan?’ The COVID crisis and its impact on the Japanese automobile industry’, Int. J. Automotive Technology and Management, Vol. 23, No. 1, pp.60–79.) and the presentation in 2024 ““Mobility Society 2050”: Japan’s Vision for Sustainable Mobility of People, Goods, and Information” (publication forthcoming in Palgrave Studies of Internationalization in Emerging Markets, Martin Krzywdzinski et al. (Eds): Global Shifts in the Automotive Sector, chapter 12: “From Automobile Industry to Mobility Industry? New Mobility Concepts and Policies in Japan”) my paper and presentation will focus on recent initiatives of the industry and government to accelerate the shift to new forms of mobility and the efforts to strengthen and maintain the domestic industrial base in Japan.

The paper and presentation will be structured as follows:

1. Industrial policies in light of social-economic changes in Japan
2. Japan’s automobile industry in national and international contexts
3. Keidanren plan for a mobility industry and the JAMA mobility “Vision 2035”
4. Production and market developments with regard to alternative energy vehicles

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Kwansei Gakuin University

School of International Studies

Prof. Dr. Holger Bungsche

Jean Monnet Chair

662-8501Nishinomiya City

Uegahara Ichiban-cho 1-155

Tel: ++81-798-54-7248

E-Mail: holger.bungsche@kwansei.ac.jp

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