May 18, 2026 /SemiMedia/ — Murata Manufacturing said it will begin construction of a new production building at its Yokaichi Plant in Shiga Prefecture, Japan, in May 2026 as the company moves to expand thermistor manufacturing capacity.

The new facility will be used for thermistor production and is expected to support growing medium- to long-term demand across automotive, industrial and AI-related applications.

According to the company, the building will feature a five-story steel-frame structure with a building area of about 2,951 square meters and a total floor area of roughly 18,010 square meters. Murata plans to invest approximately 16.9 billion yen in the building project alone.

Construction is scheduled for completion in August 2028.

Thermistors are widely used for temperature sensing, circuit protection and thermal management in automotive electronics, battery management systems, industrial equipment and consumer devices. Demand for high-reliability temperature control components has continued to increase alongside the expansion of electric vehicles, data centers and AI infrastructure.

Industry analysts said Murata’s latest investment reflects broader efforts by passive component suppliers to strengthen production capacity for higher-value sensing and protection devices tied to electrification and advanced computing markets.

The Yokaichi Plant, located in Higashiomi, Shiga Prefecture, is one of Murata Manufacturing’s key production sites for electronic components in Japan.