Welcome to Issues in Japan.
This time’s topic is: Industry-Academia-Government Council Meeting in Fukuoka Accelerates the Establishment of a Semiconductor Center in Kyushu.
Fukuoka Prefecture inaugurated the Fukuoka Prefecture Green Device Development and Production Center Council on February 2 to promote the accumulation of semiconductor-related companies by industry, academia, and government.
In cooperation with the world's top share companies located in the prefecture and Kyushu University, the council will work on technological development, attracting companies, and fostering human resources.
The national government is also planning to launch an industry-academia-government organization for human resource development in the near future, and with the entry of Taiwan's TSMC, the world's leading semiconductor company, into Kumamoto, the movement to establish a base in Kyushu is gaining momentum.
The demand for semiconductors is rapidly increasing as society becomes more digitalized, but supply shortages are becoming an issue.
In the future, the development and production of semiconductors with high energy-saving performance (green devices) will be necessary to achieve carbon neutrality (virtually zero greenhouse gas emissions), and the stable supply will also be required.
About 400 semiconductor-related companies, including Sony Group, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, and other world-class companies, are located in Fukuoka Prefecture.
There are also many facilities that support research and development in the semiconductor field, and the council was established to take advantage of these strengths to become a center for the development and production of semiconductors in the carbon-neutral era.
In addition to the prefectural government, the council consists of six companies, including Yaskawa Electric Corporation, Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation, and Mitsubishi Electric Power Devices Corporation which are the world's leading industrial robot manufacturers, three universities in the prefecture, and the Prefectural Foundation for the Promotion of Industry, Science and Technology.
They will work together to conduct joint research and development to ensure a stable supply of semiconductors, attract companies, and support capital investment and new product development.
Kyushu is known as "Silicon Island," and semiconductors are one of its major industries.
The value of semiconductor-related production in 2020 was approximately 730 billion yen, accounting for more than 40% of the national share.
Last year, it was decided that TSMC would build a new plant in Kikuyo Town, Kumamoto Prefecture, and Fukuoka Governor said, "Silicon Island Kyushu's presence is growing again, and a great opportunity has arrived."
Another issue to be addressed is to solve the shortage of human resources in order to establish a base.
TSMC is planning to employ about 1,500 people in the construction of the new plant.
There are concerns that the concentration of human resources at TSMC will lead to a hollowing out of the surrounding areas.
The Kyushu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry is planning to establish an industry-academia-government organization by the end of March 2022 for the purpose of fostering semiconductor-related human resources, and will hold a preparatory meeting on February 7.
About 30 companies and organizations, including prefectures in Kyushu, a joint venture company between TSMC and the Sony Group, and universities are expected to participate.
As part of the council's efforts, Fukuoka Prefecture will also focus on cooperation with universities in the prefecture and human resource development at prefectural industrial high schools.
That’s all for now. Thank you for your interest.
