Although full details remain to be finalized, the two companies expect the transfer to include the battery business conducted by Sony Energy Devices Corporation, Sony’s wholly-owned subsidiary in Japan; Sony’s battery-related manufacturing operations located in China and Singapore; and assets and personnel assigned to the battery business at the Sony Group’s sales and R&D sites in Japan and worldwide.

Business operations related to consumer sales of Sony-branded USB batteries, alkaline batteries, button and coin batteries, and mobile projectors, as well as certain other products, are not expected to be included.

Up to now, Sony has continued to develop and launch various advanced battery products—primarily as key components for electronics products. Recently, Sony has focused on enhancing the profitability of its lithium-ion polymer battery business for smartphones, an area where the competitive environment is significantly changing, while it also has shifted its resources to cylindrical lithium-ion batteries for power tools and other high-power applications.

Murata is a global leader in the area of electronic components, and is working to enhance its competitive edge in the communications market, while also creating new business models and customer value in its focus markets of automotive and healthcare, as well as the energy market.

With this as its focus, Murata was attracted to the technological strengths, and knowledge and experience of international markets of Sony’s global battery business.

Following the transfer, Murata intends to position the global battery business as a core operation within its energy business in order to target further business growth and expansion.

From the perspective of each of their portfolio strategies, and in order to increase the competitiveness and ensure the sustained growth of the battery businesses while also continuing to secure appropriate investment to achieve such competitiveness and sustained growth, Murata and Sony determined that it would be mutually beneficial to proceed with negotiations towards the transfer of the technological strengths and business experience Sony has accumulated in the battery business to Murata, and for the business to be operated within the Murata Group.