The hidden synergy between HONDA MOTOR and PIONEER

[2009, March 31]

1. Introduction

Honda Motor Co, as Pioneer’s third-party allocation of new shares, will invest 2.5 billion yen by the end of July. The amount of share will be about 5 %. Pioneer’s aim is to concentrate on the business of in-vehicle equipments such as car navigation systems. Pioneer is going to strengthen the relationships with Toyota and Honda, which are its business acquaintances. Both Pioneer and Honda can’t keep their eyes off not only the capital affiliations, but also the synergic effect of technology.
They have been enjoying the close tie in the technology of in-vehicle audio system, and have applied for patents. For example, the Active Noise Control Appliance (P2008-247221A) aims to make it multipurpose, to prevent the wrong assemblies to the car, and to cut down on the man-hour and the management cost, without lowering the quality of reducing noise inside the car. In addition, the Speaker Apparatus and Its Frame (P2006-229521A) is the technology that makes it possible to drive the speaker smoothly by equalizing the resistance of the arm to the flow of air by the frame while the speaker is driving.
However, they have similar fields of technologies. The DC-DC Converter (P2008-99422A) aims to reduce surge noise and switching loss with the simple circuitry. This, almost the same aim of one of Touhoku Pioneer’s patents (P2004-274924A), is the technology that avoids overload current when the switching element is improperly turned on after connecting the primary source to the converter. Their experiences working on the development of organic EL will be strengthening the relationship between the laboratories of the both. Furthermore, although these are remotely related, the technology of Pioneer’s plasma display might be useful in the technology field of Honda’s electrochemistry element. Pioneer and Honda have been developing the different technologies in the different business fields (see Picture 1). However, they may be able to capitalize on their strengths, for the parts of their technologies centering on car electronics is the same to have a synergic effect. Besides, because they have a few same technologies in certain fields, it can be said that they have possible strengths to grow up to be their second or third biggest business comparable to the car electronics business (see the blue plots within fig 1).

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