Electronic components manufacturers have been ramping up the establishment of research and development (R&D) centers as part of their respective medium- to long-term management plans. Their aim is to accelerate R&D and to expand priority businesses and create new businesses. R&D bases have been expanded and new ones are being built one after another in various locations in Japan and overseas.

Photo 1: Rendering of TDK Technical Center with the New Building shown on the left.

Along with determining the focus of business, manufacturers have been strengthening their R&D systems in line with their strategies on basic research, application development and the development of production technologies.

Primary R&D Centers
TDK Corporation started construction of a new building with a total fl oor area of about 14,424sq.m at TDK Technical Center based in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is the fi fth building at the center, and its completion is slated in January 2019. TDK plans to transfer about 100 engineers presently stationed at the company's several facilities into the new building. In January, they will commence the development of sensor and actuator solutions, and power solutions for wireless power transfer systems, and of advanced materials and component technologies.

TDK plans to consolidate the development environment to create new products using the entire Technical Center as the pulse of the TDK global R&D base.

Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. will establish a new R&D base in the Minato Mirai 21 Area in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.

The construction is planned to start in 2018 with completion slated for 2020. In the same year, Murata will work on R&D targeting priority markets of automotive, energy and healthcare and medical markets, as well as Internet of Things (IoT), in addition to existing businesses, focused on the communications market.

Murata will also relocate the development department of consumer and industrial lithium-ion rechargeable battery and micro battery primary battery business, which the company acquired from the Sony Group in September, from the Atsugi facility to the new R&D base, and step up R&D of its battery business as well. Murata plans to make it the company's second- largest R&D base following Yasu Plant in Shiga Prefecture, Japan.

It will be the company's fi fth R&D base in Japan following after Yasu; Yokaichi in Shiga Prefecture; Nagaoka in Kyoto; and Yokohama in Kanagawa.




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