AISIN, ADVICS, JTEKT and DENSO Reach Basic Agreement to Establish Joint Venture to Develop Integrated ECU Software for Automated Driving

KARIYA, Japan, Aug. 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd (AISIN), ADVICS Co., Ltd. (ADVICS), JTEKT Corporation (JTEKT) and DENSO Corporation (DENSO) today announced that the four companies have reached a basic agreement to establish a joint venture company to develop integrated ECU software for automated driving and vehicle dynamics control. The company will be capitalized with the participation ratio of DENSO 65%, AISIN 25%, ADVICS 5% and JTEKT 5%.

The automotive industry is in an era of profound transformation, particularly in technologies for electrification, automated driving and connected driving. In the field of automated driving and vehicle dynamics control, greater acceleration in technology development is needed to support the development of future mobility solutions that will revolutionize how society moves.

The integrated ECU manages components, such as sensors, brakes, and steering, which are basic driving functions and critical for automated driving. Through this joint company, DENSO, AISIN, ADVICS and JTEKT will focus on expediting the development of more sophisticated software required for larger and more complex integrated ECUs.

The four companies bring unique strengths to this endeavor and will work together to develop and provide software for integrated ECUs which best fit each car makers' needs.

Details are still being discussed and the plan is for the new company to launch in March 2019. The collaboration of the four companies will support their commitment to deliver safe and secure mobility for all.

About DENSO in North America
DENSO is a leading global automotive supplier of advanced technology, systems and components in the areas of thermal, powertrain control, electronics and information and safety. With its North American headquarters located in Southfield, Michigan, DENSO employs more than 23,000 people at 28 consolidated subsidiaries and 4 affiliates across the North American region. Of these, 25 are manufacturing facilities located in the United States, Canada and Mexico. In the United States alone, DENSO employs more than 17,000 people in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Iowa, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. DENSO's North American consolidated sales totaled US$10.9 billion for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2018. For more information, go to www.denso.com/us-ca/en. Connect with DENSO on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DENSOinNorthAmerica.

About DENSO Corporation
DENSO Corp., headquartered in Kariya, Aichi prefecture, Japan has more than 220 subsidiaries in 35 countries and regions (including Japan) and employs approximately 170,000 people worldwide. Consolidated global sales for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2018, totaled US$48.1 billion. Last fiscal year, DENSO spent 8.8 percent of its global consolidated sales on research and development. DENSO common stock is traded on the Tokyo and Nagoya stock exchanges. For more information, go to www.denso.com, or visit our media website at www.denso.com/global/en/news/media-center/.

SOURCE DENSO