Asia Tech Wire (June 4) -- Swiss chipmaker STMicroelectronics N.V. has signed a long-term silicon carbide supply agreement and established a joint lab with Chinese automaker Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd (0175.HK).

STMicroelectronics and Geely Auto announced Tuesday that they have signed a long-term silicon carbide (SiC) supply agreement to accelerate their existing collaboration on SiC devices.

The chipmaker will provide SiC power devices for Geely Auto's mid- to high-end pure electric vehicles under multiple brands, helping Geely improve EV performance, speed up charging, extend range and deepen the transition to new energy vehicles.

In addition, based on their longstanding collaboration in several automotive applications, the two companies have established a joint lab to exchange information and explore innovative solutions related to automotive electronic/electrical architectures, advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and more.

STMicroelectronics, with its advanced SiC production technology and fully vertically integrated supply chain, has also continued to increase its investment in the Chinese market in recent years. Last June, it announced a joint venture agreement with Sanan Optoelectronics Co., Ltd (600703.SS) to build a new 8-inch SiC device joint venture manufacturing plant in Chongqing to better meet Chinese customer demand.