;British Aerospace today signed an agreement with Sumitomo Precision Products (SPP) to form a joint venture company for the exploitation of silicon motion sensing technology in global commercial applications. BAe and SPP will each own 50% of the new company, which will be called Silicon Sensing Systems. The agreement was signed in Amagasaki, Japan by Nigel Randall, managing director of British Aerospace Systems & Equipment (BASE) and Dr T. Noda, chief executive officer and president of Sumitomo Precision Products Co., Ltd.
;Silicon Sensing Systems will be responsible for the development, manufacture, marketing, sales and support of the range of silicon based motion sensors - gyroscopes and accelerometers, throughout the world. It will have subsidiary companies in Japan responsible for the production of gyroscopes and accelerometers, and for sales in Asia. Silicon Sensing Systems at Plymouth will continue to be responsible for gyro development, and sales and support throughout the rest of the world.
;The world's first micromachined silicon gyro was launched by BASE in partnership with SPP in 1997, aimed at a range of applications in the automotive industry, such as car navigation systems, vehicle dynamics, collision avoidance, roll-over airbag control and crash recorders. It is also being evaluated for the medical, industrial robotic and 3-dimensional computing applications.
;First major success for the new product came earlier this year, when Lucas Varity Corporation selected the BASE/SPP Silicon Vibrating Structure Gyroscope for its new light vehicle braking system in the largest ever contract for yaw rate sensors - up to 1.5 million units.
;The SPP pilot production facility in Japan is already manufacturing and selling 3,000 silicon gyros per month for initial applications, including radio controlled helicopters and a marine-based heading system. The facility capacity is expected to increase up to some 400,000 units per year in the year 2000. Further manufacturing facilities are currently under discussion, with the locations likely to be decided by market demand.
;Robin Southwell, group managing director of British Aerospace, said: "This is an extremely significant event for British Aerospace. The development of silicon motion sensor technology will have a huge impact in areas as diverse as transport, medicine, industrial automation and stabilisation. We have already achieved the world's biggest motion sensor order - one and a half million units for an automotive application. This joint venture is a natural progression for our partnership, which will enable us to exploit opportunities in other commercial markets, and deliver real value for both partners."
