Toyota Funds University Research

Toyota Material Handling North America (TMHNA) has selected two universities’ research proposals to receive funding through the TMHNA University Research Program.

TMHNA announced the recipients of grant funding during a joint press conference at MODEX 2020 held in conjunction with MHI. The research proposals selected for funding include:

Dynamic Capacitive Wireless Charging System for Autonomous MH Vehicles

• Proposal Author: Prof. Khurram Afridi, Cornell University

Material Handling for Industry 4.0 in Small and Medium Enterprises

• Proposal Author: Prof. Jorge Dorribo Camba, Purdue University

The sponsored research program was created to drive the next generation of technology for the supply chain, logistics and material handling industries. The program encourages university professors and researchers to apply their knowledge of engineering and technical fields, drawing synergies and collaboration between collegiate research and TMHNA.

The University Research Program, now in its fourth year, attracted a record 44 research proposals from 30 leading universities across the country.

“Our University Research Program is reflective of Toyota’s mission to solve challenges creatively,” said Brett Wood, TMHNA President and CEO. “In partnering with leading universities, we seek to foster industry-led innovation by combining our resources and guidance with the fresh and new ideas coming out of academia. Together in the spirit of collaboration, we hope to build a better, safer, more efficient future for the material handling industry.”

With nearly 3 million square feet of manufacturing space, TMHNA is composed of five manufacturing plant locations: Columbus, Indiana; East Chicago, Indiana; Greene, New York; Muscatine, Iowa; and Oakville, Ontario, Canada that produce racking products and more than 1,500 forklifts per week.

To learn more about the TMHNA University Research Program including information on previously funded projects and how to apply, visit UniversityResearchProgram.com.