Sony & Mitsubishi Electric collab

https://www.sony-semicon.com/en/news/2026/2026072201.html

Mitsubishi Electric and Sony Semiconductor Solutions Agree to Establish a Joint Venture to Build AI Vision Sensor Solutions for Manufacturing Applications
To Enhance Recognition, Decision-Making and Control in Manufacturing and Contribute to Labor Savings and Unmanned Operations 

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (“Mitsubishi Electric”) and Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation (“Sony”) have entered into a definitive agreement on a strategic partnership aimed at accelerating the automation and advancement of manufacturing equipment and manual operations in the manufacturing industry. Under the partnership, the two companies will establish a newly formed joint venture (“JV”), Advanced Vision Solutions Co., Ltd., which is scheduled to begin operations in October 2026, subject to the receipt of necessary approvals and clearances from relevant authorities.

Going forward, through the JV, the companies will develop and offer vision-sensor*1  solutions leveraging cutting-edge technologies that enable AI-based analysis of visual data directly on image sensors. The solutions will precisely capture conditions and changes across a broad range of manufacturing sites that have traditionally been difficult to visualize, and connect them to decision-making and control. They will support automation and autonomous operation of a wide range of manufacturing equipment, contributing to labor savings and unmanned operations.

This partnership will enable the two companies to integrate Sony’s industry-leading image sensors and edge AI technologies with Mitsubishi Electric’s extensive expertise in FA control systems cultivated over many years. The solutions will precisely capture conditions at manufacturing sites, product quality, equipment operations, and maintenance-related information that were previously difficult to fully understand and utilize. Furthermore, it will efficiently extract the necessary information from the acquired data and connect it to appropriate decision-making and subsequent control, enabling timely and autonomous improvements tailored to equipment and operational conditions with minimal manual intervention. 
In addition to vision data, the solutions will integrate with a variety of data from manufacturing sites, contributing to the development of multimodal production systems capable of detecting changes, early signs and other conditions that cannot be fully identified from a single type of data alone. Through this initiative, the companies aim to drive the deployment of physical AI in the FA domain and provide solutions that can be used without specialized expertise in optics or AI, across broad industries seeking labor savings, autonomous operations, quality improvement, and more advanced maintenance in production environments.

*1 Vision sensor: A high-precision sensor that captures images of products and parts on manufacturing lines using a camera and detects the condition and positional information of target objects in real time. By working in conjunction with factory automation (FA) equipment, it enables automation at manufacturing sites.

“Mitsubishi Electric has long provided a wide range of FA equipment to customers, primarily in the manufacturing sector,” said Takayuki Tsuzuki, Executive Officer (Associate); Group President, Factory Automation Systems at Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. “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™*2.’ Furthermore, by realizing advanced autonomous control with physical AI and other applications, we aim to provide new value to customers and address social challenges such as labor shortages.”

“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,” said Shinji Sashida, President and CEO of Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation. “Image sensors, which serve as the ‘eyes’ that generate vision data, play an important role in enabling AI to understand on-site conditions and connect them to decision-making and control. 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.”

Company name: Advanced Vision Solutions Co., Ltd.
Business description: Development of AI-powered vision sensors and vision-sensor solutions for factory automation (FA)
Shareholding ratio: Mitsubishi Electric 60%, Sony Semiconductor Solutions 40%