Denso’s new “Integrated Mobility Computer” is a strategic product that combines vehicle intelligence with energy efficiency.
🟧 Denso to launch “integrated mobility computer” equipped with proprietary SoC in 2029
Denso has announced the next-generation in-vehicle computer, the Integrated Mobility Computer. As the “brain of the car” that controls various functions of automobiles, it aims to be put into practical use and mass production in 2029.
Equipped with a high-performance SoC for integrated control: A proprietary SoC that combines multiple semiconductors into a single chip. Achieves high computing performance while consuming low power.
Produced at an unmanned factory: Produced at the new Yoshiaki Manufacturing Plant in Nishio City, Aichi Prefecture, which is scheduled to be completed in 2027. A next-generation line with 24-hour unmanned operation has been introduced.
Application of heat treatment technology: Utilizing thermal management technology cultivated in the air conditioning field for semiconductor cooling. Aim for stable operation even in high-temperature environments.
Shinnosuke Hayashi, President of Denso, said at the briefing, “We will develop original high-performance semiconductors that can withstand harsh environments and challenge the future with the power of technology.”
🟧SDV and the flow of manufacturing in automotive semiconductors
The background is the shift to software-defined vehicles (SDVs) in the automotive industry. Designs that integrate a large number of ECUs that have been scattered throughout the vehicle and expand their functions with software updates are becoming mainstream. Such integrated control requires massive data processing and high-speed communication, and reliable automotive SoCs are key.
In Japan and abroad, Bosch and Continental, as well as Tesla and Chinese EV manufacturers, are accelerating the development of similar integrated computers. Denso’s strengths lie in its automotive reliability and thermal design technology, as well as its in-house production of its own semiconductors. This is expected to achieve both a supply chain with less external dependencies and computing performance optimized for vehicle design.
In addition, the unmanned factory to be built by the company is a “smart factory” equipped with AI-based quality inspection and an autonomous logistics system, and is a concept that supports the SDV era with both hardware development and production innovation.
🟧Summary
Denso’s “Integrated Mobility Computer” is a strategic product that aims to reshape in-vehicle computing. By combining our proprietary SoC and heat treatment technology, we pursue energy saving, high performance, and high reliability at the same time. The completion of the unmanned factory as a mass production base also symbolizes the company’s “fusion of mobility and manufacturing.”
Certainly, Denso’s move this time is a major turning point in stepping into “car brain = semiconductor”. The semiconductor business has higher added value and higher profit margins than automotive parts, but it is also an area with high development costs and risks.
