Japan parts maker to challenge Taiwan's Yageo with counterbid

TOKYO -- Japanese parts supplier MinebeaMitsumi is set to launch a tender offer for Shibaura Electronics, challenging an unsolicited bid from Taiwanese electronic components maker Yageo, in the latest twist in the takeover battle over the Japanese maker of thermistor sensors, Nikkei has learned.

MinebeaMitsumi, a bearings maker, aims to expand its electronic components business through the acquisition. The move is also intended to keep Shibaura Electronics' world-leading, cutting-edge sensor technology -- crucial for vehicles and industrial robots -- in Japan.