Kobe Steel Ltd. entered into a technical cooperation agreement with Germany’s Hydro Aluminium Rolled Products GmbH for aluminum sheet used in automotive body panels. The agreement covers the exchange of technical information regarding the use of aluminum in automobile bodies and structural parts, the licensing of intellectual property and manufacturing know-how, and technical assistance. Kobe Steel, which currently supplies a large share of the automotive aluminum sheet to Japanese automakers, is planning to build a global supply network for aluminum body panels. In the future, the company anticipates expanding sales to European and U.S. automakers as well. Hydro is a leading European supplier of aluminum sheet for automotive body panels.