TDK announced today that TDK’s wholly-owned subsidiary TDK-Micronas GmbH, a leading supplier of Hall-effect sensors based in Freiburg, Germany, and ICsense NV have signed an agreement of acquisition of shares, to which TDK-Micronas will make ICsense NV a wholly-owned subsidiary.

Through the acquisition TDK will further boost its sensor and actuator business. TDK is expanding its sensor business by completing a lineup of various sensors, in addition to its own pressure, temperature, current and magnetic sensors. Recently, TDK acquired TDK-Micronas, a leading supplier with the world’s broadest range of Hall-effect sensors and embedded motor controllers for the Automotive and Industrial markets. Furthermore TDK announced the acquisition of the US-based InvenSense, Inc., a global inertial sensor company, and became the majority shareholder of Tronics Microsystems SA, a French MEMS and inertial sensor specialist.

ICsense, Europe’s premier IC design company, is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium. It’s core business is ASIC development and the supply and custom IC design services. ICsense has the largest fab-independent European design group with world-class expertise in analog, digital, mixed-signal and high-voltage IC design. The company develops and supplies customer exclusive ASIC solutions for the automotive, medical, industrial and consumer market. ICsense’s core expertise is sensor and MEMS interfacing, high-voltage IC design, power and battery management. After becoming a TDK group company, ICsense will continue to develop innovative ASICs for its existing and new customers worldwide.

ASICs perform processes essential to sensor products by reading the values detected by sensors and conducting signal processing. ASICs can be used not only in magnetic sensors but also in other sensor products and even in non-sensor products. For these reasons, TDK has decided to acquire ICsense, which has an extensive track record as a manufacturer of ASICs for TDK’s magnetic sensors. The ICsense management team will remain unchanged.

“With this acquisition we have taken another decisive step forward in our sensor business, strengthening our position in the automotive and industrial market and providing increased value and services for our customers,” says Matthias Bopp, General Manager of TDK’s Magnetic Sensors Business Group and CEO of TDK-Micronas. ” Our existing strength in magnetic sensor technology, combined with the expertise gained with this acquisition, puts us in the excellent position to shape the era of all kind of applications for the automotive and industrial industry.”

“As a trusted analog, mixed-signal and high-voltage ASIC development partner, we will be the perfect fit for TDK” says Dr. Bram de Muer, CEO of ICsense. “Our innovative ASICs will further support TDK in implementing its product roadmap and enhance the global strategy for sensors. Having TDK as a strong back-end partner will further enhance ICsense’s ASIC development and supply capabilities for new and existing customers. ”.

Going forward, TDK will be able to provide a more detailed response to customers and aims to increase its competitiveness in the global market by offering a diverse range of sensor solutions and services.