Matsushita becomes Panasonic, invests $862M in image-sensor fab
Matsushita will officially change its name to Panasonic one month after it begins construction on a new facility to produce image sensors for various digital appliances.
By Suzanne Deffree, Managing Editor, News -- EDN, January 11, 2008
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co Ltd will soon solely be known by its Panasonic brand as it makes an effort to unify its business under the well-known consumer electronics name.
Further backing consumer electronics, Matsushita has announced plans to expand its semiconductor production facility at its Tonami plant in Toyama Prefecture, Japan, investing approximately $862 million (94 billion yen) to construct a new image-sensor fab. Construction of the fab, slated to house 10,000-square-meters of cleanroom space, will start in September.
Meanwhile, Matsushita will officially change its name to Panasonic Corp on October 1, undertaking a brand name change from the National brand, used for home appliances and housing equipment in Japan, to the Panasonic brand by the end of fiscal 2010, ending March 31, 2010. Subsequently, the National brand will be abandoned and the corporate brands in Japan will be unified to the Panasonic brand, the company said.
Panasonic, which has been developing its semiconductor business with advanced system LSIs at the core, focuses on five digital consumer electronics areas that include optical disc devices, digital TV sets, mobile communications, image sensing, and automotive electronics. The new plant will respond to the expansion of the digital camera and other image-related markets and demand for more sophisticated features including higher resolutions, the company said, adding that the plant will strengthen its image sensor business in areas of digital cameras, in-vehicle devices, camcorders, broadcasting, and medical equipment.
After commencing production in August 2009, the company plans to gradually increase its production capacity up to 30,000 200-mm wafers per month.
