Sumitomo Electric Reorganizes its Mobility Business
- Accelerating development of IoT-based vehicle connectivity products -

On April 1, 2018, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. will integrate its System & Electronics Division in the Infocommunications business segment into the Automotive Business Unit and newly establish the Software Business & Technology Planning Division in the unit.

The automobile industry is about to undergo major transformations such as expansion of connectivity, autonomous driving, car sharing and electrification, accelerating research and development for the next-generation car society. To swiftly and flexibly respond to such changes, Sumitomo Electric decided to integrate the System & Electronics Division into the Automotive Business Unit.

While our Automotive Business Unit has been developing and producing in-vehicle components, such as wire harnesses, our System & Electronics Division has been working on the development of traffic control systems for infrastructure using Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), which connect people, vehicles and society via telecommunications.

In the near future, connected cars, which sustain full-time connections to the Internet by utilizing 5G and IoT technologies, are expected to spread widely, and the demand for products and systems connecting both in and outside of vehicles via the Internet will increase further. Therefore, by consolidating the management resources related to the area of connectivity products in the mobility business, we will promote the collaboration between in-vehicle components and ITS and strengthen our product development capacity.

In addition, by establishing the Software Business & Technology Planning Division in the Automotive Business Unit, we will establish the planning and execution system for software development in the mobility business and strengthen the foundation of software development to further enhance competitiveness in the field of connectivity products.

Sumitomo Electric will continue to focus on technical development in the field of connectivity products and contribute to the creation of a safe, secure and comfortable automobile society.