Panasonic eyes biosensors, solar cells with IMEC research agreement, Sanyo talks
Panasonic extends its joint research work with IMEC to include the semiconductor, networks, wireless, and biomedical fields days after expressing interest in Sanyo's solar and battery technologies.
By Suzanne Deffree, Managing Editor, News -- EDN, November 12, 2008
While still aiming to generate "ideas for life" under its traditional consumer electronics branding, Panasonic Corp has put its attention on high-growth tech industries including biosensors and solar cells with two recent announcements.
The company and European nanoelectronics research center IMEC today announced they have extended their partnership with a joint research contract concerning technologies in the semiconductor, networks, wireless, and biomedical fields.
Research will be carried out at IMEC’s Leuven, Belgium, facilities and IMEC’s research unit at Holst Centre in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.
The duo has been working together since 2004, when Panasonic began participating in IMEC’s joint research platform on semiconductor process technologies as a "core partner" (nine IMEC member companies that actively participate in a core set of research programs on sub-32nm CMOS).
To extend their working relationship, a new R&D center dubbed the Panasonic IMEC Center will be established at the IMEC premises in December. IMEC said the center will conduct R&D on network technology such as dynamically reconfigurable software-defined radio, ultra-low power consumption wireless communication technology for healthcare and lifestyle monitoring, and biomedical technology such as next generation biosensors.
Today's announcement with IMEC comes on the heels of a separate announcement Panasonic made with Sanyo Electric Co last week. In a move announced Friday, the two Japan-based companies said they have entered into capital and business merger talks that would see Sanyo become a Panasonic subsidiary, bringing the two consumer electronics specialists under the one roof.
However, the talks are not focused on Panasonic's or Sanyo's traditional product lines. Instead, Panasonic expressed interest in Sanyo's energy business domains, specifically its solar cell and rechargeable hybrid and electric car battery technologies.
"Panasonic has been challenging under the 'Panasonic' brand to generate 'ideas for life' for the future," the company said in a statement on the pending deal. "Through innovative thinking, Panasonic is committed to enriching people’s lives around the world and thereby contributing to the development of society and future of the world. On the other hand, Sanyo has been seeking to become a 'Leading provider of environment- and energy-related products,' which significantly contributes to enhancing the global environment and enriching people’s lives. … Gathering together the accumulated technologies and manufacturing knowledge of both companies, we believe that we will evolve to a corporate group which will be highly admired globally by enhancing the quality of life for the people worldwide and coexisting in harmony with the global environment."
Panasonic and Sanyo expect to announce an agreement by year's end.
