MANILA - Ayala Corp's electronics unit, Integrated Micro-Electronics Inc (IMI), said Tuesday it formed a joint venture with a Japanese company to manufacture copper-based touch sensors.

Japan's Toppan Printing Co Ltd will transfer 65 percent of its shares in the newly-formed Toppan Touch Panel Products Co Ltd to VIA Optronics GmbH, a unit of IMI, the Ayala subsidiary told the stock exchange.

The joint venture company will be called VTS Touchsensor Co, IMI said.

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"VIA, together with Toppan, will continue to grow the business in all market segments, extend touch sensor production line capacity of VTS and continuously develop the technology itself," IMI said.

IMI bought a 76 percent stake in Germany's VIA Optronics in September 2016, allowing it to branch out to automotive cameras and display monitors.

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