Sumitomo Corporation will begin full-scale efforts to construct a platform serving as a bridge between technology and the needs of customers and markets in order to develop new technology for practical application in the automotive sector. As a first step, Sumitomo Corporation has concluded an agreement on the joint development of automobile electronic control units using artificial intelligence algorithms with AZAPA Co. Ltd., which specializes in automotive-related engineering. Sumitomo Corporation and AZAPA will pursue joint development of AI-based ECUs for automobiles. ECUs are control units providing integrated control of all systems - engines, motors, car navigation systems, air conditioners, etc. Growing interest in more energy-saving driving and in supporting elderly drivers has led to demand for more sophisticated control, and both the number of ECUs installed per vehicle and their capability values are rising.