On May 8, Japanese automotive parts supplier Denso and chipmaker Rohm Semiconductor announced a strategic partnership aimed at deepening collaboration in semiconductor development and production. Citing reports from Nikkei and Car Watch, the companies said the alliance will span joint chip development, integrated manufacturing, and coordinated raw material procurement, with implementation details to be finalized later.
Denso has long sourced chips from Rohm, but the new pact will expand the relationship into co-manufacturing. The partners intend to integrate their semiconductor expertise to jointly develop analog ICs tailored for electric vehicles (EVs), advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), and autonomous driving. Their collaboration will focus on analog sensor chips and complementary technologies for next-generation automotive platforms.
The companies also plan to expand cooperation in other mutually compatible areas of their semiconductor businesses. Separately, Denso revealed it had acquired a minority stake in Rohm via open market purchases ahead of the partnership announcement, characterizing the investment as modest but withholding financial details.
Denso has been ramping up efforts to fortify its semiconductor supply chain. It previously invested in JASM, the wafer fab subsidiary of TSMC in Kumamoto, Japan, to stabilize its access to automotive-grade chips.
In November 2023, Denso committed US$500 million to Coherent's silicon carbide (SiC) wafer unit, acquiring a 12.5% stake. The move was aimed at securing a stable supply of SiC power semiconductors critical to enhancing its EV inverter performance.
Article edited by Jack Wu
