THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
February 28, 2023 at 14:40 JST
Hokkaido Governor Naomichi Suzuki, left, visits Atsuyoshi Koike, the president of Rapidus Corp., a manufacturer of next-generation semiconductors, in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward on Feb. 16. (Kenji Izawa)
To boost Japan's domestic production of next-generation semiconductors, Rapidus Corp. has unveiled a plan to build its first chip plant in Hokkaido.
Rapidus President Atsuyoshi Koike will visit Hokkaido Governor Naomichi Suzuki on Feb. 28 to officially announce the plan.
The new plant is expected to be built in an industrial park in Chitose, which has convenient access to a major airport along with a stable supply of electricity and water, both vital for chip production.
Chitose was selected among the municipalities that vied to host the plant to create jobs and boost the local economy.
The company aims to start the mass production of advanced semiconductors in the late 2020s under the 5-trillion-yen ($36.7 billion) project.
Launched in 2022 by eight leading Japanese companies including Toyota Motor Corp. and telecom giant NTT Corp., Rapidus has secured a 70-billion-yen fund from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
The newly founded company has also signed partnerships with IBM Corp. and Imec, a Belgium-based semiconductor research organization.
Rapidus aims to revive Japan’s chip industry, which is said to be lagging a decade behind global competitors including Taiwan and South Korea.
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