This Japanese Company Believes It Can Catch Up With Chipmakers Like TSMC by 2027

upstart writes:

The rebirth of Japan's semiconductor industry depends on it:

A little-known Japanese company called Rapidus aims to mass produce 2nm chips just two years after the likes of Samsung, TSMC, and Intel. Many in the industry consider that an impossible task, but one of the two men leading the company believes it's just a matter of focusing on being the first to break ground on new process technology - kind of like TSMC. Rapidus also has the benefit of being at the center of Japan's strategy to conquer advanced semiconductors, meaning it will see plenty of subsidies over the coming years to fund its ambitions.

Back in 2021, the Japanese government said it would make it a top priority to reboot the local semiconductor industry, which was once a dominant force on the global market. Despite hosting more chip factories than an other country, Japan has fallen behind when it comes to mass-producing chips on advanced process nodes. To put things in perspective, Japan's share of global semiconductor sales has shrunk from 50 percent in 1988 to about 9 percent in 2022.

Meanwhile, Taiwan has become the world leader in this area, mostly thanks to TSMC. The country currently makes more than half of the world's semiconductors, and that figure is over 90 percent if you look at chips made using the most advanced process nodes. South Korea has a much smaller share of the overall market, but dominates when it comes to memory chips, thanks in no small part to companies like Samsung and SK Hynix.

That said, industry veteran Tetsuro Higashi says he's building a semiconductor company that can catch up with the likes of TSMC and Samsung in just four short years. Despite being 73 years old, Higashi is determined to show that Japan has what it takes to rejuvenate its chip industry and help it regain its edge.

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