Toyota, Honda, Nissan Join Hands To Develop Automotive-Use Semiconductors

The top 12 Japanese automotive manufacturers and component players have formed a joint venture that will collectively work on producing System on Chip (SoC)  semiconductors for automotive applications. The companies formed ‘Advanced SoC Research for Automotive’ (ASRA) on December 1, 2023, to research and develop high-performance digital semiconductors for use in automobiles. 

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Automakers including Nissan, Mazda, Honda, Subaru and Toyota are a part of the alliance, along with component players Denso, Panasonic, Cadence Design Systems, MIRISE Technologies, Renesas Electronics Corporation, Socionext Inc., and Synopsys Japan. 

The alliance says that about 1,000 semiconductors are used in each vehicle and the types vary depending on the application. Out of these, the SoC semiconductors are the most essential for autonomous driving technology and multimedia systems vehicles, which require advanced semiconductor technology to achieve advanced computing power. 

The move also comes in the wake of the massive shortage during the pandemic era that not only halted production globally for vehicles several times in the past three years but also inflated prices of components and vehicles at large. The move to research and develop their own semiconductors for automobiles will ensure less dependency on tech companies for production and distribution in the long run. 

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The announcement states that ASRA plays a central role in pursuing the high level of safety and reliability required for automobiles by bringing together “the technological and experiential knowledge of electrical components and semiconductor companies.” The alliance aims to apply cutting-edge technologies practically and will develop SoCs for automobiles using chiplet technology and combining different semiconductor types.

ASRA will roll out the first in-vehicle chiplet technology SoCs by 2028 to install in mass-produced vehicles from 2030 onwards. The new research group will work with industry, government and academia to promote domestic and international collaboration, the statement read.