Japan To Back Rapidus Even With Delayed Production Of Logic Chips

Japan’s support for Rapidus Corp. will remain steadfast even if the government-backed venture needs to delay its target for mass-producing advanced logic chips by 2027, Yoshiaki Nohara and Yuki Furukawa reported for Bloomberg News.

Japan has invested billions in Rapidus to create a domestic manufacturer of next-generation semiconductors. I Photo: Embassy of Netherlands in Japan Facebook

Rapidus is on track to launch a pilot production line in April 2025, steadily progressing toward its mass production goal, according to Daishiro Yamagiwa, chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party’s group for semiconductors.

“We’ve implemented our semiconductor strategy with determination, and the Rapidus project is a cornerstone of that strategy,” Yamagiwa said in an interview with Bloomberg News.

Even if the target shifts from 2027 to 2028, “that won’t matter to us,” he stated.

Japan has invested billions in Rapidus to create a domestic manufacturer of next-generation semiconductors.

The startup, supported by local industry giants such as Toyota Motor Corp. and Sony Group Corp., aims to produce 2-nanometer chips within three years.

This ambitious plan seeks to narrow the gap with global leaders Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) and Samsung Electronics Co., both of which plan to commence large-scale 2-nm production next year.