New Japanese semiconductor consortium teams up with Belgian IMEC research lab to meet the global demand of semiconductor production. Rapidus intends to conduct joint research with the device on next-generation chips to be manufactured in Japan.
The Japanese group of companies was established this year. It has eight members, including Toyota Motor and telecommunications giant NTT. Rapidus aims to reduce the Japanese industry’s heavy reliance on imported chips.
Domestic manufacturers were once major players in the global semiconductor market. One of the reasons for the decline in their market share was the inability to cooperate with overseas entities possessing cutting-edge technologies.
Informed sources say the tie-up with Belgian company imec is the first step in a new direction. The lab is known for its miniaturization technology, able to produce the thinnest circuits possible for better performance.
Rapidus plans to boost staff by sending engineers to imec. It also aims to strengthen technological ties with other research labs and companies outside of Japan in an effort to develop chips that meet global needs.