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As tech heavyweights such as Apple (AAPL.O) and Amazon (AMZN.O) spend heavily on custom cutting-edge chips, companies using legacy chips are also looking to introduce custom silicon. Inverters adjust the speed of an air conditioner's motor to save energy. The custom chips, to be made by Taiwan's TSMC (2330.TW), cost more than off-the-shelf alternatives but offer better energy efficiency and allow a reduction in the use of other components, according to a Daikin executive. The company, which developed Japan's first packaged air conditioner in 1951, is also working on customised power modules, which help manage the air conditioner's electricity supply. The number of air conditioners globally is expected to more than triple to 5.6 billion units by 2050, according to the International Energy Agency.

Persons: Sam Nussey, Taiwan's TSMC, Yuji Yoneda, Daikin, Jamie Freed Organizations: Daikin, REUTERS, Rights, Daikin Industries, Apple, European Union, International Energy Agency, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Osaka, United States

☆ Rapidus hunts for engineers to help Japan regain faded chip glory
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Tetsuro Higashi, the Chairman of Rapidus Corp., poses for a photograph during an interview with Reuters at the company headquarters in Tokyo, Japan February 2, 2023. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Government-backed Japanese chip foundry venture Rapidus is hunting high and low - including among industry veterans and overseas - to find engineers to help it revive a chip industry that was once the envy of the world. Rapidus is helmed by veteran chip industry executives who were working in the 1980s when Japan boasted a market share of around half of the global chips market. Rapidus' ambitious plans have been met with scepticism from chip industry insiders who have questioned whether the company will be able to achieve mass production and secure a sufficient customer base. Yonemaru last month relocated to work with IBM in New York state, part of a cohort of Rapidus engineers heading there as the fab is being constructed.

Persons: Tetsuro, Issei Kato, TSMC, Rapidus, Masami Suzuki, Suzuki, Naoto Yonemaru, Sam Nussey, Miho Uranaka, Tim Kelly, Jamie Freed Organizations: Rapidus Corp, Reuters, REUTERS, Rights, IBM, Rapidus, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Hokkaido, New York

☆ South Korea, China, Japan top diplomats seek to boost trilateral cooperation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, right, shakes hands with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi prior to a meeting in Busan, South Korea, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023. Ahn Young-joon/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Nov 26 (Reuters) - The foreign ministers of South Korea, China and Japan meet in South Korea on Sunday, seeking to restart cooperation among the Asian neighbours and pave the way for a trilateral summit. In September, senior officials from the three countries agreed to arrange a trilateral summit at the "earliest convenient time". South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin met separately on Sunday morning with his Japanese counterparts Yoko Kamikawa and China's Wang Yi. Marring the cooperative tone, Kamikawa called an order by a South Korean court for Japan to compensate a group of women forced to work in Japanese wartime brothels "extremely regrettable" and requested the South Korean government take appropriate measures, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported.

Persons: Park Jin, Wang Yi, Ahn Young, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Yoko Kamikawa, China's Wang Yi, Kamikawa, Wang, Yoon Suk Yeol, Fumio Kishida, Biden, Hyonhee Shin, Sam Nussey, William Mallard Organizations: South Korean Foreign, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Sunday, South, Kyodo, Thomson Locations: Busan, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, China, Japan, United States, Beijing, Washington, Tokyo, Seoul, North, Pyongyang, Moscow

☆ South Korea, China, Japan Top Diplomats Seek to Boost Trilateral Cooperation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Hyonhee ShinSEOUL (Reuters) - The foreign ministers of South Korea, China and Japan meet in South Korea on Sunday, seeking to restart cooperation among the Asian neighbours and pave the way for a trilateral summit. In September, senior officials from the three countries agreed to arrange a trilateral summit at the "earliest convenient time". South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin met separately on Sunday morning with his Japanese counterparts Yoko Kamikawa and China's Wang Yi. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida have taken steps to mend ties frayed by history and trade feuds, and held a historic trilateral summit in August with Biden. Wang warned in July that U.S. efforts to strengthen relations with Seoul and Tokyo could raise regional tension and confrontation.

Persons: Shin, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Park Jin, Yoko Kamikawa, China's Wang Yi, Kamikawa, Wang, Yoon Suk Yeol, Fumio Kishida, Biden, Hyonhee Shin, Sam Nussey, William Mallard Organizations: Sunday, South Korean Foreign, South, Kyodo Locations: Shin SEOUL, South Korea, China, Japan, United States, Beijing, Washington, Tokyo, Seoul, Busan, North, Pyongyang, Moscow

☆ Japan's Resonac to open chip packaging R&D centre in US
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Sam Nussey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Semiconductor chips are seen on a circuit board of a computer in this illustration picture taken February 25, 2022. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Japanese chip materials maker Resonac (4004.T) said on Wednesday it will set up a research and development centre for advanced semiconductor packaging and materials in Silicon Valley. The packaging stage of production is increasingly being seen as critical for driving advances in chip technology, with the U.S. this week kicking off a $3 billion programme to boost its packaging capabilities. Resonac, formerly Showa Denko, is a leading manufacturer of materials for packaging such as films and plans to begin operations at its new centre in 2025. Japanese chip sector firms are seeking deeper ties with the U.S. with foundry venture Rapidus planning to open a sales office there by the end of the current financial year.

Persons: Florence Lo, Sam Nussey, Christopher Cushing Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Thomson Locations: Silicon Valley

The logo of Rapidus Corp. is displayed at the company headquarters in Tokyo, Japan February 2, 2023. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Japanese chip foundry venture Rapidus plans to open a sales office in the United States by the end of the financial year. Rapidus is led by veteran chip executives and hopes to manufacture cutting-edge chips by partnering with IBM (IBM.N) and Belgium-based research organisation Imec. The CEO of Imec said last week that what Rapidus is trying to do is "extremely difficult" adding he was "positive" about the prospects for the venture. Reporting by Kaori Kaneko and Sam Nussey; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim and Christian SchmollingerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Issei Kato, Rapidus, Taiwan's TSMC, Imec, Kaori Kaneko, Sam Nussey, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: Rapidus Corp, REUTERS, Rights, IBM, Samsung Electronics, U.S, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, United States, Belgium, South, Chitose, China

☆ Japan's Kioxia reports Q2 loss, says prices have bottomed out
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Sam Nussey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The result at Bain Capital-backed Kioxia, formerly Toshiba Memory, compares with a loss of 130.8 billion yen three months earlier. Merger talks between Kioxia and Western Digital (WDC.O) have stalled, Reuters reported previously, after Kioxia investor SK Hynix (000660.KS) said it did not back the deal. Selling prices have bottomed out, Kioxia said, pointing to expected higher shipments of smartphones and PCs next year. Revenue fell quarter-on-quarter with Kioxia saying the smaller loss was because of higher average selling prices with a boost from the weaker yen. Separately, Toshiba (6502.T), which holds a stake in Kioxia after selling its chip unit to the Bain-led consortium in 2018, posted a 26.7 billion yen net loss in the second quarter.

Persons: Kioxia, Bain, Sam Nussey, Tom Hogue Organizations: Taipei, REUTERS, Rights, Bain Capital, Toshiba, Western, Reuters, SK Hynix, Samsung Electronics, Revenue, Japan Industrial Partners, Thomson Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Kioxia, KS

☆ Japan's efforts to foster chip sector are 'impressive' -research org head
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Sam Nussey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Japan's efforts to regain its position as a leading manufacturer of chips are "impressive", the head of a leading chip research organisation said on Thursday. "Japan this time has taken a bold approach and has implemented very quick decision making," Luc Van den hove, CEO of Belgium-based Imec told reporters in Tokyo. One key initiative is chip foundry venture Rapidus, which is led by veteran chip executives and hopes to manufacture cutting-edge chips by partnering with IBM (IBM.N) and Imec. "What Rapidus is trying to do is extremely difficult," said Van den hove, adding that "the Japanese team and government are very motivated to make it a success, so I'm positive." Imec, an important part of chipmaking research efforts funded by industry and governments, is considering opening offices in Hokkaido, where Rapidus production will be located, and in Tokyo, Van den hove said.

Persons: Florence Lo, Luc Van den hove, Imec, Taiwan's TSMC, Van den, Sam Nussey, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, IBM, Samsung Electronics, U.S, Thomson Locations: Japan, Belgium, Tokyo, South, Van den hove, Hokkaido, Van, China

☆ Sony profit slides on chip slump, maintains PS5 sales target
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Sam Nussey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Profit for the quarter was 263 billion yen ($1.74 billion). That compared with a 306 billion yen estimate from 10 analysts polled by LSEG. The conglomerate sold 4.9 million PS5 units in the second quarter, bringing sales this financial year to 8.2 million units. Sony hiked its full-year sales forecast for the games unit by almost 5% to 190 billion yen. The company maintained its full-year operating profit at 1.17 trillion yen but raised its sales and net income forecast by 2% each.

Persons: Mike Blake, Hiroki Totoki, Jim Ryan, Jefferies, Atul Goyal, Sam Nussey, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Kim Coghill Organizations: Sony, REUTERS, LSEG, Industry, Bungie, Nintendo, Microsoft, Thomson Locations: Rancho Bernardo, California, TOKYO

☆ 'Mario Wonder' latest mushroom power-up for Nintendo Switch
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Sam Nussey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Signage for the Nintendo Switch is seen at a GameStop in Manhattan, New York, U.S., December 7, 2021. The Japanese firm said it sold 4.3 million copies of "Super Mario Bros. Wonder" - the first entirely new instalment in the almost 40-year-old side-scrolling series in a decade - within two weeks of its Oct. 20 launch. That is the best performance of any "Super Mario" title, Nintendo said, as it takes advantage of the Switch install base of more than 130 million units and interest generated by a barnstorming animated movie featuring the moustachioed plumber. The comments come a day after Nintendo reported it sold 6.84 million Switch units in the first six months of the financial year that started in April, a slight increase on the same period a year earlier. Nintendo also announced on Wednesday "Super Mario" creator Shigeru Miyamoto is developing a live action adaptation of the "Zelda" franchise.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Mario, Shuntaro Furukawa, Zelda, Shigeru Miyamoto, Kong, Jefferies, Atul Goyal, Sam Nussey, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Nintendo, GameStop, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York, U.S, Kyoto

☆ Nintendo hikes profit forecast as Switch battles on
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Sam Nussey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An attendee uses a Nintendo Switch game console while playing a video game at the Paris Games Week (PGW), a trade fair for video games in Paris, France, November 5, 2023. Nintendo sold 6.84 million Switch units in the first six months of the financial year, a slight increase on the 6.68 million units it sold in the same period last year. Reuters GraphicsNintendo's broad pop culture appeal has also been underscored by the success of a Super Mario Bros. movie. Nintendo maintained its full-year forecast for the console of 15 million units, which would be a 16.5% decline on a year earlier. Nintendo's line-up for the critical year-end shopping season will likely also be bolstered by some new additions including "Super Mario RPG", which launches on Nov. 17.

Persons: Claudia Greco, Zelda, Mario, Shuntaro Furukawa, Sam Nussey, David Dolan, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Nintendo, Paris Games, REUTERS, Reuters, Mario Bros, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, TOKYO, Kyoto

☆ Nintendo to develop 'Zelda' movie in latest entertainment push
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Sam Nussey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of the Nintendo is displayed at Nintendo Tokyo, the first-ever Nintendo official store in Japan, at at SHIBUYA PARCO department store and shopping mall complex, during a press preview in Tokyo, Japan November 19, 2019. REUTERS/Issei Kato Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Nintendo (7974.T) said on Wednesday it will develop a live-action film of long running franchise "The Legend of Zelda" in the Kyoto-based firm's latest push beyond its core gaming business. The two men have been working on an adaptation of the "Zelda" franchise for many years but the movie will take time, according to posts on social media by Nintendo. Nintendo said on Tuesday it had sold 19.5 million units of the latest "Zelda" game at September-end as the series continues to deliver hits almost 40 years after its first installment. The "Zelda" movie development comes at a time of renewed appetite for adaptations of Japanese franchises globally, with examples including Netflix's recently launched adaptation of long running pirate manga series "One Piece".

Persons: Issei Kato, Zelda, Mario, Shigeru Miyamoto, Avi Arad, Wes Ball, Sam Nussey, Sandra Maler Organizations: Nintendo, Nintendo Tokyo, REUTERS, Rights, Sony, Thomson Locations: Japan, SHIBUYA PARCO, Tokyo, Kyoto

TOKYO, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Japanese chip materials maker JSR Corp (4185.T) on Monday slashed its operating profit forecast for the current financial year by 62%, citing a weak recovery in demand for semiconductors and a slowdown in the biotech market. Investors are debating the recovery path for the chip industry which has been hit by a slowdown in demand for electronics such as smartphones and PCs. "We had projected an upturn in the second half of the year and as we've highlighted here we're no longer expecting that upturn," JSR CEO Eric Johnson told a news conference. Operating profit was 3.4 billion yen in the second quarter, following a loss of 6.1 billion yen three months earlier. A leading maker of photoresists used in chip making, JSR said sales for cutting edge extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography grew 15% year-on-year in the April-September period.

Persons: Eric Johnson, photoresists, Johnson, Sam Nussey, Miho Uranaka, Kim Coghill, Miral Organizations: JSR, Samsung Electronics, Japan Investment Corp, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, KS

☆ Japan's Advantest lowers profit outlook as smartphone softness lingers
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Japanese chip testing equipment company Advantest Corp (6857.T) on Tuesday downgraded its full-year operating profit forecast by 24% compared to July as recovery in the smartphone market takes longer than expected. Advantest sees operating profit of 80 billion yen ($532 million) in the year ending in March, down 52%, pointing to softer demand for leading-edge test systems and higher costs. The company said it expects investment in generative artificial intelligence to boost tester demand over the medium term. "We will sustain our investment to address future technologies," CEO Yoshiaki Yoshida told an earnings briefing. Industry bright spots include demand for high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips which has boosted South Korea's SK Hynix (000660.KS) with rivals circling.

Persons: Advantest, Yoshiaki Yoshida, Douglas Lefever, Sam Nussey, Jason Neely Organizations: Advantest Corp, South Korea's SK Hynix, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, HBM

☆ Taiwan's Powerchip chooses northern Japan for planned $5.4 bln fab
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Sam Nussey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp's Japanese business in pictured in Tokyo, Japan July 21 2023. "Japan has to have its own supply chain," Powerchip founder and Chairman Frank Huang told reporters. Powerchip said it aimed to manufacture micro-controllers and power chips, which are needed for power management in electric vehicles, along with chips for artificial intelligence. The second phase, planned for two years later, aims to introduce 28-nanometre technology with targeted monthly output of 40,000 wafers. They aim to cut costs by making reference to plans for a Powerchip fab being built in Taiwan, and discussions are already taking place with construction firms.

Persons: Sam Nussey, Taiwan's TSMC, Frank Huang, Powerchip, David Dolan, Jamie Freed Organizations: Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing, REUTERS, Rights, Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp, SBI Holdings, Reuters, Powerchip, SBI, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Miyagi, Taiwan, Sendai, Hokkaido, Kyushu, chipmaking

☆ Powerchip, SBI to build chip plant in northern Japan -Nikkei
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

The logo of Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp's Japanese business in pictured in Tokyo, Japan July 21 2023. REUTERS/Sam Nussey/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing (6770.TW) plans to build a chip plant in northern Japan's Miyagi prefecture in cooperation with SBI Holdings (8473.T) with an initial investment of about 400 billion yen ($2.67 billion), the Nikkei business daily said on Friday. Powerchip aims to bring the new plant into operation in 2026, the paper said. Reuters reported earlier this month that Powerchip had closed in on five locations for a new plant and was negotiating subsidies to cover part of the first phase. ($1 = 150.0300 yen)Reporting by Tokyo Newsroom; editing by Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sam Nussey, Powerchip, Christina Fincher Organizations: Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing, REUTERS, Rights, Powerchip Semiconductor, SBI Holdings, Nikkei, Reuters, Tokyo, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Japan's Miyagi

TOKYO, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Kokusai Electric (6525.T) shares jumped 29% in their Tokyo market debut on Wednesday after private equity firm KKR sold shares in the chip equipment maker for $724 million in Japan's largest initial public offering (IPO) in five years. The stock opened at 2,116 yen and climbed to a high of 2,371 yen, valuing the company at 546.3 billion yen ($3.65 billion), as investors grabbed shares following the rare IPO of a key chip tool manufacturer. "The market for chip related stocks outside of AI is weak so some were wondering what would happen," said Tomoichiro Kubota, analyst at Matsui Securities. KKR agreed to buy Hitachi's (6501.T) electronic equipment unit in 2017 in a deal valuing the business at 257 billion yen ($1.72 billion) as the conglomerate streamlined operations. The private equity group then spun off Kokusai, which manufactures machines for depositing thin films on silicon wafers, the following year.

Persons: telco, Tomoichiro Kubota, Kazuyoshi Saito, Warren Buffett, Sam Nussey, Miho Uranaka, Mayu, Makiko Yamazaki, Chang, Ran Kim, Sonali Paul Organizations: KKR, telco SoftBank Corp, Matsui Securities, Reuters, Iwai Cosmo Securities, Materials, Equity, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Tokyo, China, Japan

The logo of Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp's Japanese business in pictured in Tokyo, Japan July 21 2023. REUTERS/Sam Nussey/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSINGAPORE/TOKYO, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Taiwan chipmaker Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (6770.TW) is considering around five sites in Japan, including Mie prefecture, for setting up a potential $5.4 billion factory as talks on subsidies progress, sources said. Powerchip is looking at around five sites for the factory, the source said. One option is Mie prefecture in central Japan, two sources said, close to the industrial hub of Nagoya and fabs operated by Taiwan's UMC (2303.TW) and Japan's Kioxia. A factory from Powerchip would mark a further commitment by Taiwanese chipmakers into manufacturing in Japan, with TSMC (2330.TW) building a factory in Kyushu in western Japan and eyeing a second.

Persons: Sam Nussey, Powerchip, Taiwan's UMC, eyeing, chipmaker, Fanny Potkin, Miho Uranaka, Muralikumar Organizations: Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing, REUTERS, Rights, Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp, SBI Holdings, SBI, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Rights SINGAPORE, TOKYO, Taiwan, Mie, Nagoya, Powerchip, Kyushu

TOKYO, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Chip equipment maker Kokusai Electric (6525.T) has raised $724.4 million after pricing its shares at the top end of their marketed range in Japan's largest initial public offering in five years. Kokusai, owned by U.S. private equity firm KKR (KKR.N), set its IPO price at 1,840 yen per share, according to a filing on Monday, valuing the company at 423.9 billion yen ($2.8 billion). If an overallotment option for domestic investors is exercised, the offering would raise roughly $833 million. The move was partly due to a lacklustre share price performance by chip designer Arm since its listing last month, a source familiar with the matter has said. Kokusai's largest customers are Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), TSMC (2330.TW) and Micron Technology (MU.O), collectively accounting for more than 40% of its revenue.

Persons: Mariko Katsumura, Sam Nussey, Miho Uranaka, Kim Coghill, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Kokusai, U.S, KKR, Tokyo bourse's, Samsung Electronics, Micron Technology, Thomson Locations: TOKYO

The indicative price range was set at 1,830-1,840 yen per share, KKR-backed Kokusai said in a regulatory filing on Tuesday, compared with 1,890 yen previously. Kokusai said the lower range reflected the view of institutional investors and the state of the stock market. If its IPO prices at the top of the range, Kokusai, which manufactures machines that deposit thin films on silicon wafers, will offer 108.3 billion yen ($729 million) worth of shares and have a market valuation of 423.9 billion yen, excluding an overallotment. Capital Research and Management and Lazard Asset Management have committed to purchase shares at the offer price, Kokusai said in a separate filing. Kokusai's largest customers are Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), TSMC (2330.TW) and Micron Technology (MU.O), collectively accounting for more than 40% of its revenue.

Persons: Kokusai, SoftBank Group's, Sam Nussey, Makiko Yamazaki, Miho Uranaka, Kaori Kaneko, Christian Schmollinger, Sonali Paul, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Kokusai, KKR, Capital Research, Management, Lazard Asset Management, Samsung Electronics, Micron Technology, Investors, Micron, Thomson Locations: TOKYO

☆ EU sees 'convergence' with Japan on AI - official
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Sam Nussey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AI (Artificial Intelligence) letters are placed on computer motherboard in this illustration taken June 23, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Oct 9 (Reuters) - The European Union sees "convergence" with Japan on thinking about generative artificial intelligence (AI), a senior official said on Monday. "I see a lot of convergence in how we look at AI and generative AI," European Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova told Reuters in an interview. The EU and Japan are deepening cooperation over technology such as AI, cybersecurity and chips seen as important for economic security. The Group of Seven industrial powers are discussing guidelines for generative AI, a technology being met with excitement and concern, under a process established in Hiroshima.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Vera Jourova, Jourova, Sam Nussey, Michael Perry 私 Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, European, Values, Reuters, The Locations: Japan, EU, China, Kyoto, Hiroshima

REUTERS/Toru Hanai//File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Fujitsu (6702.T) and research institute Riken on Thursday announced the successful development of Japan's second quantum computer, as part of research efforts around the world to make the nascent technology practical. The 64 qubit quantum computer from Fujitsu and state-backed Riken will be integrated with a 40 qubit quantum computer simulator, as researchers work to eliminate the errors which prevent such systems from providing accurate results. IBM last year launched a 433 qubit quantum computer. Qubits, or quantum bits, are a measure of the power of quantum computers, which use quantum mechanics. China, the U.S. and allied industrial democracies are in a race to take a lead in advanced technology including quantum computing, with President Joe Biden moving to hamper some U.S. investment in Chinese efforts to develop the technology.

Persons: Toru Hanai, Shintaro Sato, Joe Biden, Sam Nussey, Miho Uranaka, Stephen Coates Organizations: Fujitsu, Advanced Technologies, Makuhari, REUTERS, Rights, IBM, Thomson Locations: CEATEC, JAPAN, Chiba, Japan, China, U.S

REUTERS/Issei Kato/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Sony Group (6758.T) is increasing its focus on the virtual production business where it is seeing market-beating growth, a company executive said, riding on the strength of the Japanese entertainment conglomerate's technology. The business, which offers virtual production facilities to filmmakers and broadcasters, involves using a wall of light-emitting diode (LED) panels displaying images - a science-fiction landscape or a downtown cityscape - that are integrated into the scene as it is shot. "It's because we have the hardware that we can recreate in the virtual world," Yasuharu Nomura, Sony's head of virtual production, said in an interview. Sony says its virtual production business is growing by around 35% annually, faster than the overall market, with an increasing proportion of sales expected to come from services. Virtual production technology gained attention after its use in science-fiction show "The Mandalorian" from Walt Disney (DIS.N), which used in-house visual effects firm Industrial Light & Magic.

Persons: Issei Kato, Yasuharu Nomura, Walt Disney, Kota Ezawa, Sam Nussey, Miho Uranaka, Muralikumar Organizations: Sony, REUTERS, Rights, Sony Group, Hollywood, Epic Games, Citigroup, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ Japan Display ends partnership talks with China's HKC
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Japan Display (6740.T) said on Friday it has ended talks with China's HKC Corp over co-operation on next-generation display technology and will limit collaboration to high-end automotive displays. The talks, launched in April, were aimed at building display-making plants in China using Japan Display's eLEAP OLED technology with mass production to start in 2025. The companies could not agree on the licensing fee HKC was to pay for Japan Display's technology, while China's economic slowdown and HKC's recent withdrawal of its initial public offering to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange likely affected the talks, the Nikkei business daily reported earlier. Separately, Japan Display said it had signed a memorandum of understanding with the local government in the eastern Chinese province of Anhui to build panels there and is targeting a final agreement by year-end. Reporting by Kantaro Komiya and Sam Nussey; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim and Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: China's, Kantaro Komiya, Sam Nussey, Chang, Ran Kim, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: China's HKC Corp, Japan, Shenzhen Stock Exchange, Nikkei, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, China, Anhui

☆ Sony gaming chief Jim Ryan to retire, group president to be interim head
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Sam Nussey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Inside a GameStop store Sony PS5 gaming consoles are pictured in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., November 12, 2020. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Sony Group Corp FollowTOKYO, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Sony Group (6758.T) said on Thursday its gaming chief Jim Ryan would retire next March, with group President Hiroki Totoki to become interim CEO during the search for a successor. Ryan, who is British, become CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) in 2019 and oversaw initiatives including the launch of the PlayStation 5 console the following year. "Jim no longer wants to manage the tradeoff between having a job in the U.S. and a home in the UK," SIE said in a statement. Reporting by Sam Nussey; Editing by Jamie Freed and Aurora EllisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Carlo Allegri, Jim Ryan, Hiroki Totoki, Ryan, Jim, SIE, Sam Nussey, Jamie Freed, Aurora Ellis Organizations: GameStop, Sony, REUTERS, Sony Group Corp, Sony Group, Sony Interactive Entertainment, PlayStation, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City , New York, U.S

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