News

Eddie Forouzan Joins KYOCERA Wireless to Lead Battery Technology Engineering Group

Ph.D. Brings Extensive Experience in Lithium Ion Batteries

SAN DIEGO--July 2, 2004--Kyocera Wireless Corp., a leading global manufacturer of CDMA wireless handsets and telemetry modules, today announced that Eddie Forouzan has joined the company to lead its battery technology engineering group. Forouzan brings to Kyocera Wireless a wealth of experience in electrochemistry and lithium ion batteries, both from a research and academic perspective as well as in manufacturing.

Forouzan most recently served as team leader and battery technologist for ABIOMED, Inc., where he managed the development of a fully implantable battery pack for the company's implantable bionic heart (AbioCor®), among other responsibilities.

"When it comes to the battery powering a bionic heart there's no margin for error," said Forouzan. "That focus on reliability and execution is exactly what I bring to the engineering team at Kyocera Wireless, and I expect our batteries to be the best and most reliable in the industry."

At Kyocera Wireless, Forouzan internally and externally oversees all battery-related responsibilities, including procurement, quality, testing, packing and handling. Specifically, he specializes in energy production and storage devices, which include both primary and secondary batteries as well as chargers.

"Eddie Forouzan brings an impressive knowledge of lithium ion batteries to Kyocera Wireless and his responsibility for ensuring the reliability and accuracy of crucial medical devices is the kind of experience we'll count on as our company continues to grow," said Tsuyoshi Mano, president of Kyocera Wireless Corp.

Forouzan holds a Ph.D. in electrochemistry from Clark University, a master's degree in polymer chemistry from Clark University and a bachelor's degree in biology and chemistry from Skidmore College. He completed three years of postdoctoral training in electrochemistry at the University of Texas at Austin. He has published more than a dozen industry articles and papers and is a sought-after speaker in his field. Forouzan also holds one U.S. patent for recharge battery plenum stabilized with state changeable substance and has a U.S. patent pending for a procedure to manufacture high-surface-area electrodes for use in applications such as lithium ion batteries and ultra capacitors.

About Kyocera Wireless Corp.

Kyocera Wireless Corp. is a leading supplier of innovative, feature-rich CDMA wireless devices and accessories for customers worldwide. Kyocera Wireless maintains an operating belief in the genius of simplicity and strives to make the wireless experience as simple and intuitive as humanly possible. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kyocera International Inc., which acquired QUALCOMM Incorporated's CDMA consumer wireless phone business in February 2000. Based in San Diego, the company is ISO-14001 and ISO-9001 certified and has won city, state and federal awards for its environmentally friendly manufacturing and recycling practices. For more information, please visit www.kyocera-wireless.com.

Kyocera Corporation, the parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of advanced ceramics. By combining these engineered materials with metals and plastics, and integrating them with other technologies, Kyocera has become a leading supplier of telecommunications equipment, semiconductor packages, electronic components, cameras, laser printers, copiers, solar energy systems and industrial ceramics. During the year ended March 31, 2004, Kyocera Corporation's consolidated net sales totaled approximately US$11 billion (JP Yen 1,140,814 million) with net income of approximately US$655 million (JP Yen 68,086 million).

(C) 2004 Kyocera Wireless Corp. All rights reserved. Kyocera is a registered trademark of Kyocera Corporation. AbioCor is a registered trademark of ABIOMED, Inc. All other trademarks and product names are the property of their respective owners.

Contact:
     Kyocera Wireless Corp.
     John Chier, 858-882-3543
     jchier@kyocera-wireless.com
       or
     LPI Communications for Kyocera Wireless Corp.
     Leasa Ireland/Melody Brue, 310-796-1936
     leasa@lpicommunications.com