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5. NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD. Business Report FY ended Mar. 2020

NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD. Business Report FY ended Mar. 2020

Outlook for fiscal year ending in March 2021

-The Company has not forecast its business results due to uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

R&D Structure

-The Company's R&D functions include Technology Development Headquarters at the head office and the engineering functions at each business.
-The Company has technical centers in the U.S., Europe, Brazil, and Korea.
 

R&D Activities

Spark Plugs
-Developing new sparkplugs designed to improve the fuel efficiency of engine-combustion speed

Sensors
-Developing new oxygen sensors for vehicles

Semiconductors
-Developing ceramic packages for LiDAR used for self-driving systems; and 5G antenna modules

Other
-Developing existing lithium-ion batteries that are safer and lighter in weight than existing lithium-ion batteries

Conducting Self-driving Tests
-Several media sources in South Korea reported that A.I. Matics Inc. (A.I. Matics) has completed the first test run of its level-4 autonomous driving urban vehicle. The car is being developed by A.I. Matics and NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd. (NGK). The two companies are planning to test the vehicle several more times by the end of 2020. The recent test confirmed A.I. Matics’ artificial intelligence (AI)-based autonomous driving image recognition algorithm technology which could recognize on-road stop signs and stop the autonomous driving vehicle. A.I. Matics was founded in 2003 as an in-house venture by researchers of Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd. (Hyundai). It started to deliver advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) products to Hyundai and Kia Motors Corporation in 2006. (From some releases on May 27, 2020)

-South Korea's PLK Technology (PLK) has reached an agreement with Japan's NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd. Under the new contract, PLK will acquire 5% shares in NGK and launch a joint development of level-4 autonomous driving vehicles. NGK intends to expand its business into new areas such as camera sensors, AI image recognition, and connected cars. For that purpose, the company will invest in and offer support to PLK continuously. In particular, the two companies are going to supply PLK's autonomous driving platforms and deep-learning image recognition solutions to the automotive industry through NGK's customer network. PLK is owned 5.7% by Hyundai Motor Group. It supplies ADAS systems for 17 Hyundai/Kia models. Recently, it has developed technologies for level-3 autonomous driving (conditional autonomous driving). Currently, the company is trying to commercialize level-4 equivalent integrated solutions for autonomous driving in urban areas and advance deep-learning image recognition technologies. Meanwhile, PLK plans to start supplying proprietary solutions to the fleet management system market in the U.S. by the end of 2019. (From some releases on September 25, 2019)

5G Millimeter Wave Antenna Modules
-NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd. announced that it has tested an antenna module for a 5G mobile communications system millimeter-wave range it is developing for base stations and mobile terminals and verified that the antenna module is capable of data communications at a frequency of 28-GHz. The company integrated a millimeter wave-compatible circuit and an antenna into a module by applying multilayer substrate technologies it has accumulated for the manufacture of packages for semiconductors. The antenna module is made of a material developed by NGK Spark Plug to enable a reduction in transmission loss. The material offers excellent high-frequency performance necessary for the millimeter-wave range, as well as environmental resistance and heat-dissipation performance. (From an article in the Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun on April 8, 2020)

Established Joint-venture Fuel-cell-Battery Stack Manufacturer, with Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems
-On July 5 NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd. (NGK Spark Plug) and Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd. (MHPS) announced that they have agreed to establish a joint venture to manufacture and sell cylindrical cell (single cell) stacks for fuel cells on October 1, 2019. The fuel cells to be manufactured will be sold for industrial and business use. The joint venture will be set up with a capital of JPY 300 million after the review of the anti-trust law authority. It will be located in Komaki Plant of NGK Spark Plug in Komaki City, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan. The investment ratio is 70% for NGK Spark Plug and 30% for MHPS. The name of the JV and its representative are yet to be determined. NGK Spark Plug and MHPS concluded a business partnership agreement in June 2014 for the development of cylindrical cell stacks for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) that generate electricity using reformed town gas or other sources. Cylindrical fuel stacks are structures of elements on the outer surface of a ceramic substrate tube, which produce a power-generating reaction. The elements are serially connected by a conductive ceramic interconnector, allowing for efficient generation of low current, high voltage electricity. (From an article in the Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun on July 8, 2019)

Planned Capital Investment

-The Company has not set a budget for capital investments in the fiscal year that ends in March 2021 due to the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic.