Toray Bids to Become Leading Supplier for eVTOLs

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Toray Industries is aiming to get a jump on its competitors by establishing the first base for the development of carbon fiber materials specifically aimed at supplying the nascent eVTOL industry.

According to a report in the Nihon Keizai Shinbun–yet to be officially confirmed by the company–the plan calls for the creation of a facility in Nagoya that will include an open lab for joint research with client companies and universities which can host about 140 researchers. This facility will employ Artificial Intelligence with the objective of developing carbon fiber materials for lighter airframes, thus improving the performance of the aircraft.

Toray’s investment in the eVTOL research base is expected to run at about ¥6 billion (US$45 million) and to open its doors in 2026.

Toray is known to already be a carbon fiber supplier for eVTOL-makers Lilium and Joby Aviation, and it clearly aims to become a leading–perhaps the dominant–supplier for the global industry.

The partnerships with Lilium and Joby were both announced in 2020; July in the former case and December in the latter. Joby Founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt declared at the time that Toray’s carbon fiber materials “provide unparalleled specific strength and toughness, which have enabled Joby to develop aircraft with unprecedented capabilities.”

Toray already plays a key role in the international aviation market. It is the world’s largest manufacturer of carbon fiber materials with a market share of around 30%.

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