Mitsubishi Electric Corporation and Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation have entered into a definitive agreement to establish a joint venture, Advanced Vision Solutions Co., Ltd., aimed at accelerating automation and advancement of manufacturing equipment across the manufacturing industry. The joint venture is scheduled to begin operations in October 2026, subject to regulatory approvals, with Mitsubishi Electric holding a 60 percent stake and Sony Semiconductor Solutions holding 40 percent.
Through the joint venture, the companies plan to develop vision-sensor solutions that use cutting-edge technology to enable AI-based analysis of visual data directly on image sensors, capturing conditions and changes across manufacturing sites that have traditionally been difficult to visualize and connecting that information to decision-making and control. The partnership combines Sony’s image sensor and edge AI technologies with Mitsubishi Electric’s expertise in factory automation control systems, with the goal of enabling autonomous, timely improvements to equipment and operations with minimal manual intervention. Beyond vision data, the solutions are intended to integrate with other manufacturing site data to support multimodal production systems capable of detecting early signs of change that a single data type alone might miss.
The new joint venture, based in Yokohama, will be led by representative Tamiki Kobayashi and will focus on developing AI-powered vision sensors and related solutions for factory automation applications, with the stated aim of making the technology accessible to industries without requiring specialized optics or AI expertise.
KEY QUOTES:
“Mitsubishi Electric has long provided a wide range of FA equipment to customers, primarily in the manufacturing sector. Today, the need for labor-saving, unmanned systems and autonomous optimization at production sites is greater than ever. Through this partnership with Sony Semiconductor Solutions, we will develop AI vision sensors as a new core component and build a new FA digital solutions business by integrating vision data with our digital platform, Serendie.”
Takayuki Tsuzuki, Executive Officer and Group President, Factory Automation Systems, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
“Sony has contributed to solving challenges and creating new value across a wide range of industries by accurately capturing real-world information through edge-AI sensing technologies centered on image sensors. Through this partnership with Mitsubishi Electric, which has deep expertise and a strong customer base in the FA domain, we will bring solutions that leverage our sensing technologies to the market, create value across an even broader range of industries, and further accelerate the evolution of our sensing technologies.”
Shinji Sashida, President and CEO, Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
