Japanese car companies are looking to attract software talent through improving benefits and expanding their bases.

Japanese car companies Honda, Mazda, and Toyota are accelerating their efforts to ensure the availability of professional talents for the development of essential advanced software technology in the fields of electrification and autonomous driving. With talent competition becoming increasingly intense across industries, these companies are striving to enrich their recruitment systems and expand their presence. Honda plans to invest approximately 2 trillion yen in software-related research and development by the end of the fiscal year 2030. In the fiscal year 2024, the company will introduce a system that pays higher salaries to senior talents based on market conditions and provides a different level of treatment for recruitment compared to regular employees. Mazda, headquartered in Hiroshima Prefecture, opened the "Mazda Tokyo Research Center" in June in the Azabudai Hills area of central Tokyo, serving as a base for collaboration with universities, corporations, and research institutions in the capital region. Currently consisting of around 50 people, the center is expected to expand in the future.