Ficosa and OMRON to Form Joint Venture for ADAS

BARCELONA, Spain & KYOTO, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ficosa International, a Spanish automotive systems and components maker, and OMRON Corp. (TOKYO:6645)(ADR:OMRNY), a Japanese automotive electronics maker, have agreed to form a joint venture dedicated to the development, production and commercialization of ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) technology for the automotive sector worldwide.

The alliance between Ficosa and OMRON will be a 50-50 joint venture, combining the experience of both companies in the field of ADAS functions and technology. The new company will benefit from Ficosa's sector know-how and knowledge and experience in integrating systems and components in the vehicle, as well as the know-how and leadership of OMRON in areas such as electronics, sensors and technology vision cameras.

The joint venture will engage in the development, production and commercialization of driver aid systems, focusing on detecting, recognizing and informing the driver of what's happening around the vehicle (360°: front, back, side, vertical, and horizontal fields of view). This will allow the driver to react as necessary to avoid accidents, always giving priority to the safety of the driver and the occupants of the vehicle. Among the systems and functions the new company will develop are blind spot detection, lane departure warning, parking assistance, start-up warning, vehicle recognition, traffic sign recognition, rear monitor, front light recognition, short-range observation and pedestrian recognition, all with the added value of integrating several functions, such as those related to front vision, in a unique system.

The new company will be headquartered in Germany, with a subsidiary in Spain. It will take full advantage of Ficosa and OMRON's global network of technical and production centers in Europe, Asia, South America and the NAFTA area (USA, Canada and Mexico) to provide integrated global service to customers. The company's objective is to supply technologies and systems to vehicle manufacturers for new models currently under development, on a global scale.

The transaction shall be closed following clearance with the relevant antitrust authorities.

Among automobile industry technologies, systems that support driver safety promise some of the largest growth over the coming years. In 2012, 15% of all new vehicles around the world are expected to incorporate ADAS technology.

About OMRON
Headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, OMRON Corp. is a global leader in the field of automation. Established in 1933 and headed by President & CEO Hisao Sakuta, OMRON has over 35,000 employees in 38 countries working to provide products and services to customers in a variety of fields. OMRON's automotive electronic components division (AEC), headquartered in Komaki, Aichi, Japan, designs and manufactures a wide range of advanced electronic control units and sensors, including lidar sensors, remote keyless entry systems and power window and sliding door anti-pinch controls. Other products include various ergonomic switch assemblies and PCB and plug-in relays. In addition to automotive electronics, OMRON is involved in industrial automation, electronic components, social systems (ticket gate machines, ticket vending machines and traffic control) and healthcare.

About Ficosa
Ficosa International is a multinational group founded in 1949, focusing on the research, development, production and commercialization of systems and components for automobiles. Headquartered in Barcelona, Spain, the Group has a team of more than 7000 professionals and is present in 19 countries throughout the world. Ficosa is a Tier 1 supplier and technological partner of most automobile manufacturers in the world. Through its different business units (rear-view systems, command and control systems, advanced communications, under hood systems, door & seat systems, commercial vehicle and security and locking systems), Ficosa is developing innovative systems and product solutions for the automobile in the fields of safety, communications, comfort and environment.