https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/toyota-grant-open-patent-access-drive-industry-uptake-kevin-f-brown/
Jubin V Jose ,
In my opinion, they are opening patents to drive adoption of the technology across a wide spectrum of customers. From a manufacturing point of view, as long as the units produced rely on small number of units they won't be able to achieve manufacturing efficiencies that come with more units being produced that will lower the average cost per unit.
I think their bet is that by opening up their patents to competitors their supply chain can achieve better efficiencies and drive their part costs down. Then this allows to make prices more accessible to other customer segments. Afterwards, they can compete on integration of technology and brand.
IPR serves 'mainly' to compensate R&D investments on a certain level and within a certain time range. The R&D efforts of enterprises (alone of in cooperation with universities) are generally targeted on doing business, which seems logical. In some cases, like e.g. the Doha declaration for essential medicine can circumvent patent rights in order to serve society. Unfortunately, these are exceptions. In software you have 'open source' applications which creates opportunities to use and build on these technologies without infringing or counterfeiting. Generally, patented products are more expensive than those who aren't. In order to support and to raise awareness about the use of new technologies to solve societal problems, like environmental problems, it can be helpful to keep an open mind and stimulate joint ventures without struggling license battles with royal royalties... Selling more at a cheaper price or free technology exchanges are kinds of business strategies. However this can be a smart strategy and an eye opener for more revolutionary technologies which are difficult to sell, which have a difficult market penetration, which need a societal push in order to try-out,...etc. So far, seems a good idea to raise cooperation, to stimulate further research, to enhance innovation and could be a win win situation. It could be a stimulus to heat-up competitors and to join this business strategy (again...for some technologies!). When many players are involved in the production chain, everyone has to respect the rules!