OREANDA-NEWS. March 28, 2011. Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) today announced that it will establish a new in-house company, the Social Infrastructure Systems Company, that will integrate two in-house companies engaged in infrastructure businesses, with a corporate-level division. The new company will reinforce Toshiba's ability to offer integrated solutions across power transmission and distribution, a broad range of social infrastructure, and automotive systems. The Social Infrastructure Systems Company will start operation on April 1, the first day of Toshiba's fiscal year 2011.

Many countries are responding to economic and population growth by modernizing infrastructure. They are developing integrated plans that cover construction of power plants, transmission and distribution systems and transportation networks, and that build on the smart grid concept to achieve smart communities. Alongside this, projects to prove and promote commercialization of the smart community concept are being promoted worldwide. These developments underpin Toshiba's decision to reinforce its social infrastructure businesses and to intensify promotion at the global level.

Toshiba's new Social Infrastructure System Company will bring together two of its current in-house companies – the Transmission Distribution & Industrial Systems Company which handles infrastructure for electric grids, the transportation business, rechargeable batteries, industrial motors and inverters, and the Social Infrastructure Company, which handles water and sewage treatment and environmental systems and road traffic systems – with the Automotive Systems Division, which handles all aspects of Toshiba's auto-industry related business.

With this reorganization Toshiba will enhance its smart community related business by securing faster decision making, directing more personnel resources to promoting global business, and enhancing collaboration with Toshiba Group companies'  operations outside of Japan, initially through business projects in the United States, China, Brazil and Vietnam.

Toshiba's Social Infrastructure Systems Company will target raising sales outside Japan from the current level of approximately 20% to some 50% by fiscal year 2013.