April 14, 2010
A press conference for the announcement of establishment and introduction of the Green Lord Motors (GLM) Co., Ltd., created mainly by the students of the Graduate School of Management, was held at the Venture Business Laboratory (VBL). Mr. Hiroyasu Koma, a second-year student in the Master's Program of the Graduate School and president of GLM, presented the company outline, goals of the electric vehicle business, and future business plans. The business is based on the "fabless" concept, whereby the company, without having its own plant, manufactures and sells electric vehicles by outsourcing all procedures. The president expects this model to change the future automobile industry, and his vision is to have planning and operation carried out mainly by the students.
Also, VBL Director and Professor Kazumi Matsushige of the Graduate School of Engineering, who had served as the driving force behind the Kyoto-Car Project which triggered the establishment of VBL, spoke about his expectations toward the role this electric vehicle assembly venture company will play in the current automobile industry that is in desperate need for reformation, and he also explained the young human resource cultivation and venture support activities by VBL. The attending media asked questions regarding manufacturing processes and partner companies, showing much interest in the company's actual business plans.
 During the press conference President Koma (second from left) |
 Main members of GLM and VBL Director Matsushige (rightmost) |