SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC. COLLABORATES WITH A*STAR ON KEY HARD DISK DRIVE COMPONENT TECHNOLOGY

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1 PR Contacts: For Seiko Instruments Inc. (SII): Yasuyuki Mitsuoka Chief Representative, Singapore Representative Office DID: For Data Storage Institute (DSI): Ng Keng Boon Manager, Business Development Department DID: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC. COLLABORATES WITH A*STAR ON KEY HARD DISK DRIVE COMPONENT TECHNOLOGY Seiko Instruments Inc. and Singapore s A*STAR Data Storage Institute to Develop Pivot Assembly for 2.5 inch, 5mm thickness Hard Disk Drive Singapore, 14 December With the announcement of its thin hybrid drive initiative, the A*STAR, Data Storage Institute (DSI) has further substantiated its move by sealing a crucial partnership with Seiko Instruments Inc. (SII). SII and DSI has signed a research collaboration to develop pivot assembly for 2.5 inch, 5mm thickness, hybrid hard disk drive (HDD), signaling a major step towards manufacturability of the DSI's 5mm thin drive target. SII, a leading maker of hard disk drive components with strong expertise in high performance miniature ball bearing and pivot cartridge design, together with DSI will put in significant amount

2 of resources to this collaboration to bring the design of the pivot cartridge towards manufacturing. The pivot assembly is an important component within the hard disk drive which supports the movement of the actuator arm that carries the integrated system of read/write sensors over the media. DSI's 5mm hybrid HDD architecture is targeted at addressing the current limitations of both flash-based SSDs as well as the conventional HDD, mitigating areas such as portability, data storage reliability, storage capacity, power consumption and cost. The resulting 5mm hybrid HDD is expected to enhance the next generation of media tablets and mobile computing devices, through increased capacity and reliability. Our partnership with SII is a step towards materializing the 5mm hybrid hard disk drive, but more importantly, is a recognition from the industry on the viability and potential of 5mm hybrid hard disk drive, said Dr. Pantelis Alexopoulos, Executive Director of DSI. The development of pivot assembly for 5mm thickness HDD is very challenging. However, with DSI s expertise and strengths in hard disk drive, I strongly believe that our collaboration with DSI will be a resounding success and therefore make a positive contribution in the growth of HDD industry. said Mr. Masao Kasuga, Senior Vice President of SII. About Data Storage Institute The Data Storage Institute (DSI) is a member of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). Established in 1992 as the Magnetics Technology Centre (MTC), it was renamed Data Storage Institute in The research institute's vision is to be a vital node in a global community of knowledge generation and innovation, nurturing research talents and capabilities for world-class R&D in next generation storage technologies. For more information, please visit

3 About the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is the lead agency for fostering world-class scientific research and talent for a vibrant knowledge-based and innovation-driven Singapore. A*STAR oversees 14 biomedical sciences and physical sciences and engineering research institutes, and six consortia & centres, located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis as well as their immediate vicinity. A*STAR supports Singapore's key economic clusters by providing intellectual, human and industrial capital to its partners in industry. It also supports extramural research in the universities, and with other local and international partners. For more information about A*STAR, please visit About Seiko Instruments Inc. (SII) Major subsidiary of Seiko Holdings Corporation (TSE:8050). Develops, manufactures and sells watches, precision components and machine tools, electronic components, communication products and solutions, printers, and measurement and analysis instruments. Website:

4 Figure 1: Executive Director of DSI, Dr. Pantelis Alexopoulos (left) with Senior Vice President of SII, Mr. Masao Kasuga (right) after inking the research collaboration agreement.

5 Figure 2: Executive Director of DSI, Dr. Pantelis Alexopoulos (left) with Senior Vice President of SII, Mr. Masao Kasuga (right), holding DSI s first prototype of the 2.5 inch, 5mm thickness hybrid HDD. Both organisations will work on the development of the pivot assembly for this HDD.