Japan must contribute at least ?1 trillion ($9 billion) toward chip development this fiscal year and trillions more after that, if it is to have any hope of reviving its national industry, according to the government¡¯s lead adviser on its new semiconductor strategy.
Anything less won¡¯t be enough, given the high cost of chip factories and how far Japan lags behind South Korea and Taiwan in advanced manufacturing, according to Tetsuro Higashi, chairman emeritus at gear-maker Tokyo Electron Ltd. and head of an expert panel advising the government.
¡°It will not be at all easy to stage a comeback,¡± the 71-year-old industry veteran said in an interview this week. ¡°If we miss this opportunity now, there may not be another one.¡±
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