KARIYA (Japan) ― DENSO Corporation today announced that it will build an additional plant to expand production to include instrument clusters at the DENSO Iwate plant in Kanegasaki-cho, Iwate Prefecture, to enhance the competitiveness of the group’s production system in Japan.

DENSO Corporation will invest approximately US$88 million (approx. 10 billion yen) and the number of employees required will increase to around 1,000 by 2020. Construction will start in October 2017 and will be completed in October 2018. Production will begin in May 2019 and increase in stages.

DENSO Iwate currently manufactures semiconductor wafers, and will start production of semiconductor sensors in June 2017. DENSO Iwate will expand its production lineup from semiconductor wafers to electronics products, and will improve its capability to meet customer needs and also contribute to the development of the local community.

* Exchange rate used is 113 yen to the US one dollar, at the end of February for convenience only.

DENSO Corp., headquartered in Kariya, Aichi prefecture, Japan, is a leading global automotive supplier of advanced technology, systems and components in the areas of thermal, powertrain control, electronics and information and safety. Its customers include all the world's major carmakers. Worldwide, the company has more than 200 subsidiaries and affiliates in 38 countries and regions (including Japan) and employs more than 150,000 people. Consolidated global sales for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2016, totaled US$40.2 billion. Last fiscal year, DENSO spent 8.8 percent of its global consolidated sales on research and development. DENSO common stock is traded on the Tokyo and Nagoya stock exchanges. For more information, go to www.denso.com, or visit our media website at www.denso.com/global/en/news/media-center/