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The
announcement comes as Sony banks on growth in its games business
with the upcoming launch of its virtual reality headset, while
it also plans to re-enter the robotics industry a decade after
it last abandoned that business.
Sony, in a joint statement, said the agreement involved selling
the battery business of its subsidiary Sony Energy Devices Corp,
which makes lithium-ion polymer batteries used in smartphones,
tablets and digital cameras, and lithium-ion rechargeable
batteries.
Murata said it hoped that acquiring Sony's battery operations
would give the Japanese company an edge in the communications
market, and that it would help the company expand in automotive,
healthcare and energy markets.
"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," the company said.
Under the agreement, whose amount has yet to be determined, Sony
will keep retail branded battery operations related to USB and
alkaline batteries and other products.
Sony said it may book losses from the sale but that they will
not be reflected in its earnings outlook to be announced on
Friday. The company said it aims to complete the deal around
March 2017.
Murata produces capacitors, sensors and other electronic parts
used in a range of products including smartphones, white goods,
industrial equipment and healthcare products
Murata has said it aims to expand its share of the
communications market, and further expand into the automotive
market. Longer term, it has said it sees opportunities to
integrate sensor and communications technology into the growing
market for the Internet of Things.
(Reporting by Taiga Uranaka; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim and
Christopher Cushing)
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