Chip companies pour $14bn into Japan, seeking decoupling from China

 

 Chip companies pour $14bn into Japan, seeking stable supply chain

Kishida calls for more investment in bid to boost region's economic security.

 
TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's meeting Thursday with global chip company executives highlighted a flurry of activity in the country that has brought more than 2 trillion yen ($14 billion) in announced investment plans since 2021.

The spending by players from the U.S., Europe, South Korea and Taiwan comes amid an effort by the Japanese government to forge chip supply chains with partners with shared values. Japan hopes to ensure a stable supply of critical components without relying on China, and bolster the region's economic security.

Intel eager to partner with Japan in chip manufacturing: CEO

Quantum computing among possibilities for cooperation


TOKYO -- Intel will deepen its cooperation with Japanese companies and research institutes to develop technologies and materials for semiconductor manufacturing, the U.S. chipmaker's CEO told Nikkei in an interview on Thursday.

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger was in Tokyo for talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in the morning. In a subsequent interview with Nikkei, he revealed he had indicated to Kishida three areas where Intel could cooperate with Japan and Japanese suppliers: driving sustainable semiconductor manufacturing, developing exascale and quantum computing, and enhancing the manufacturing ecosystem from infrastructure to packaging, assembly and testing to "have Japan [continue] to be a leader in that area."

Micron to invest $3.6bn in Japan for DRAM chips: CEO

State-of-the-art production line to be built in Hiroshima prefecture
Sanjay Mehrotra, Micron Technology's CEO, said his company will be investing an additional 500 billion yen in a chipmaking plant in the western Japan prefecture of Hiroshima.

TOKYO -- Micron Technology, a U.S. chipmaker, will invest up to 500 billion yen ($ 3.6 billion) in Japan over the next few years, including a plant in Hiroshima prefecture that makes DRAM chips.

With support from the Japanese government, the company will install a state-of-the-art manufacturing line at its plant in Hiroshima.