Sony Partners With TSMC in Effort to Rein in Chipmaking Costs

Sony Group Corp. plans a new joint venture with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. as the first step toward what it called a fab-light approach to semiconductor production.

The Japanese company’s chip arm Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp. and TSMC are partnering to develop and build next-generation image sensors for robots and cars, the two companies said on Friday. The project will get its start in Kumamoto, where TSMC has set up its own chip fabrication plant, and may expand further if the Japanese government provides backing.