Sony and TSMC plan a joint venture (60%-40% ownership) to produce next-generation image sensors in Kumamoto, Japan, with 1 trillion yen (~$6.3B USD) investment and production target of 2029. The partnership targets high-performance camera sensors for Apple iPhones and AI-powered Physical AI applications. This signals major capital commitment to Japanese semiconductor manufacturing by two industry leaders competing against Chinese (OmniVision) and South Korean (Samsung) rivals.