LONDON – Europe's largest chip company STMicroelectronics (Geneva, Switzerland) and Chinese automobile maker FAW Group Corp. (Changchun, China) have formed a joint laboratory to conduct research into multiple aspects of automotive electronics and develop components.
State-owned FAW is China's oldest vehicle maker and produces trucks, buses, special vehicles and sedans. It was established in 1953 and sold more than two million vehicles in 2011.
As part of the deal with ST FAW will adopt ST's microcontrollers (MCUs) and application-specific standard products (ASSPs) and software while the joint venture will research power train, chassis, safety, car body, car infotainment, and new-energy technologies, as well as other automotive applications.
ST's automotive portfolio includes PowerPC-based 32-bit microcontrollers and engine management systems. The ST/FAW lab is expected to develop ICs for engine control, transmission control and power steering.
China has been the world's largest automobile producer for the last three years, according to ST quoting Jun Li, director of the FAW R&D Center.
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