As semiconductors become increasingly important amid escalating geopolitical tensions and tech competition, Japan is betting on its ¡°last chance¡± to join the ultra-advanced chip race with help from leading firms and academic bodies, including Toyota, Sony and the University of Tokyo.
Aiming to develop technologies and production bases for next-generation chips in the late 2020s, eight major companies have jointly invested to , named Rapidus, that is expected to play a central role in the mission, industry minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Friday.
The eight companies ¡ª Toyota, Sony, NTT, SoftBank, Kioxia, Denso, NEC and MUFG Bank ¡ª invested a total of ?7.3 billion to form Rapidus, which is chaired by Tetsuro Higashi, former president of chip equipment firm Tokyo Electron.
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