DENSO is investing ¥2B (approximately $17 million) to set up DENSO Electronics Corp., a new company in Hokkaido, Japan, to produce automotive semiconductor products. Production is scheduled to begin in April 2009. The company expects its investment to total ¥24B ($200 million) by fiscal 2015. Sales are projected at ¥100B ($850 million). The new company will be DENSO’s third production base for automotive semiconductor products in Japan.

"Automotive electronic control systems are expected to become more sophisticated and complex, resulting in an increasing demand for automotive semiconductor products," said Hiromi Tokuda, senior managing director in charge of DENSO's Powertrain Control Systems and Electronic Systems Business Groups. "To meet such increasing demand and establish a competitive production system in Japan, we have decided to set up a new company in Hokkaido where there are many talented people."