DENSO Corp. and NEC Platforms Ltd., a subsidiary of NEC Corp., have unveiled a new joint venture, DENSO NEXT Co. Ltd. The company will develop in-vehicle information and communications equipment critical for fostering a truly connected environment inside vehicles, such as instrument clusters, head-up displays and on-board communication equipment. The company will begin operations on Dec. 1.
Recent cockpit innovations and the advancement of connected technologies have made communication between products in the cabin more complicated, rapidly increasing the need to develop in-vehicle products more efficiently. DENSO NEXT will harness DENSO’s advanced automotive engineering and manufacturing capabilities, and NEC Group’s advanced technologies and track record in the information and communications technology (ICT) business to quickly design and bring advanced in-vehicle equipment to market.
DENSO NEXT will be located on the premises of NEC’s Tamagawa Plant in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan. The innovations developed by DENSO and NEC Platforms engineers will enable DENSO to more efficiently produce existing information and communications equipment, and to create new products in line with vehicle cockpit advancements.
DENSO NEXT combines DENSO’s deep experience with automotive components and NEC and NEC Platforms’ expertise in IT and network technologies and experience in developing automotive components. NEC and NEC Platforms have expertise in ICT and conventional in-vehicle equipment through their development of wireless communication and software products. Their expertise will be applied to achieve further advancement of in-vehicle equipment that requires high reliability and long-term assurance.
In December 2016, DENSO and NEC began collaborating in advanced driver assistance, automated driving and manufacturing using Artificial Intelligence and IoT. The two companies say they will take full advantage of technologies, products and organizations created through the collaboration to help create a safe and secure automotive society for all people around the world.
