Sony Corp. raised its stake in Olympus Corp. from 4.7% to 11.5%, becoming their largest shareholder.
The move is expected to expedite collaborations between the two companies in medical and digital camera operations. Sony decided in September to acquire Olympus shares totalling 50 billion yen (US$549 million) through a private placement. They plan to establish a joint venture for surgical endoscopic instruments and are working towards supplying camera parts to each other.