Market Chatter: Swiftfab Leads Japanese Supplier Alliance to Slash Battery Equipment Costs
Swiftfab Energy Systems, a joint venture established in April by nine Japanese battery-equipment suppliers, is spearheading a new modular manufacturing model, Nikkei Asia reported Wednesday, citing president Keisuke Kida.The company's approach, which Kida compares to stacking building blocks to assemble a production line, is expected to reduce total equipment costs by roughly 70% and help domestic battery makers compete with Chinese rivals, the news daily said.The founding suppliers include Hitachi (TYO:6501), Ricoh (TYO:7752), Toyota Motor-affiliated (TYO:7203) Jtekt (TYO:6473), Komatsu NTC, and Seibu Giken (TYO:6223), all members of the Battery Association for Supply Chain, the publication said.(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)
