Sony to build new image sensor factory in Kumamoto in chip push

Sony Group Corp. will set up a new image sensor factory in Kumamoto Prefecture, the head of its semiconductor unit said Friday, as it seeks to strengthen its chip operations.

The plant, which is expected to produce smartphone sensors, will be built on a 270,000-square-meter site it plans to acquire this year in Koshi in the southwestern Japan prefecture, Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp. President Terushi Shimizu told reporters.

There are “growing expectations” for the development of sensors as one of the sources of value for smartphones, Shimizu said, adding that this trend is expected to co...