Taiwan's TSMC, the world's No. 1 foundry (semiconductor contract manufacturer), established a semiconductor factory in Kumamoto Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan, which Japanese media analyzed on the 25th as potentially becoming a key base for Japan's economic security and a card to check China.
The day before, TSMC held an opening ceremony for its first factory in Kumamoto Prefecture, regarded as a symbol of 'semiconductor cooperation' between Japan and Taiwan. This factory is expected to produce about 55,000 units per month (based on 300mm wafers) of 12 to 28 nanometer (nm, one billionth of a meter) process products with approximately 1,700 employees.
According to Japanese media, the Japanese government plans to provide subsidies totaling 1.2 trillion yen (about 10.6 trillion won) to the two TSMC factories that will serve as economic security bases. Other media forecast that the TSMC Kumamoto factory will play a role in checking Chinese semiconductors and stabilizing the supply chain.
Additionally, local media pointed out that TSMC plans to build a second factory in Kumamoto Prefecture, which is expected to have significant economic effects, but securing labor remains a challenge.
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