ON Semi, Keboda Technology and Tongji University establish Joint Lab

ON Semiconductor Corporation has signed an agreement with its customer, Keboda Technology Corporation and with Tongji University to establish a joint laboratory on the university campus dedicated to driving innovation within China's dynamic automotive electronics sector. The ON Semiconductor-Keboda-Tongji University Automotive Electronics Joint Lab is the first strategic initiative by the three organizations. Its primary purpose is to nurture and develop industry-leading automotive electronics expertise to power China's fast-moving automotive industry.

The joint lab expands ON Semiconductor’s investment in China’s automotive electronics marketplace and expands its collaboration with its customer Keboda. Additionally, the lab will provide Tongji University’s College of Electronics and Information Engineering with a unique educational platform that enables students to gain invaluable experience working with real-world automotive applications to be better prepared to address real-world business opportunities.

“The future is in the hands of talented young students, who need a combination of a nurturing environment and the access to world-class expertise in order to create ideas for automotive electronics,” said Jim Alvernaz, vice president of ON Semiconductor’s Automotive Product Division. “This is exactly what this new lab will offer, by providing students and professors with the knowledge and cutting-edge automotive electronics knowledge required to develop state-of-the-art products and solutions.”

“We needed the right local partners to realize our objective and found them in Keboda, which brings the right automotive dynamism, and in Tongji University’s College of Electronics and Information Engineering, which offers a pool of automotive talents,” Mr. Alvernaz added.

ON Semiconductor will invest in lab equipment to support projects at Tongji University, located in Shanghai. It will also invest in student projects such as an innovative autonomous car. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in ON Semiconductor’s internship programs and learn first-hand from its automotive electronics experts.

Additionally, ON Semiconductor will encourage students to build on its automotive electronic solution books and reference designs for key automotive applications, with the assistance of experienced engineers at ON Semiconductor’s Automotive Solutions Engineering Center located in Shanghai.

According to Keboda Chairman Guihua Ke, “This joint lab gives Keboda a head start in accessing the newest ideas in automotive electronics. ON Semiconductor works strategically with key local automotive customers in China and we are very pleased to join them in this new initiative with Tongji University, where some of the brightest minds in automotive technologies teach and study.”

“ON Semiconductor is a top 10 global automotive electronics supplier and a first-mover in spotting China’s potential to be a global player for automotive semiconductor products,” said Qiqun Chen, Dean of the College of Electronics and Information Engineering at Tongji University. “Their partnership with us recognizes Tongji University as a frontrunner in automotive electronics development.

The new lab builds upon ON Semiconductor’s establishment of its Solutions Engineering Center (SEC) for Automotive in 2011. This SEC focuses on the development of advanced energy efficient solutions for a variety of automotive applications including body, HVAC, powertrain, safety, infotainment and LED lighting. It provides development platforms and local product support to better service customers who design and manufacture electronic automotive sub-systems in the Asia-Pacific region.