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☆ Chip giant TSMC opens first Japan factory as it diversifies away from Taiwan amid U.S.-China tensions
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Sheila Chiang | In Sheilachiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A general view shows the new semiconductor plant by Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (JASM), a subsidiary of Taiwan's chip giant TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company), in Kikuyo of the Kikuchi district, Kumamoto prefecture on February 14, 2024. (Photo by Philip FONG / AFP) (Photo by PHILIP FONG/AFP via Getty Images)Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company opened its first chip plant in Japan on Saturday as it diversifies supply chains away from Taiwan amid intensifying U.S.-China trade tensions. Paul You, chairman of First Securities Investment Corporation said last month that the global semiconductor industry including Taiwan's could be at risk from the U.S.-China chip war. Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Inc., the manufacturing company majority-owned by TSMC, began construction of the plant in April 2022. Japan has been striving to strengthen its semiconductor presence amid an intense rivalry with key chip making countries such as Taiwan and South Korea.

Persons: Philip FONG, PHILIP FONG, Paul You, TSMC, JASM Organizations: Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, AFP, Getty Images, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Nvidia, Apple, U.S, First Securities Investment Corporation, U.S ., Semiconductor Manufacturing Inc, TSMC, Sony Semiconductor Solutions, Denso Corporation, Samsung, Center, Strategic, International Studies Locations: Japan, Kikuyo, Kikuchi, Kumamoto prefecture, AFP, Taiwan, China, Europe, U.S, Kumamoto, South Korea

TOKYO (AP) — Toyota is selling a part of its stake in components maker Denso to raise cash for its drive toward electric vehicles and other innovations, Japan's top automaker said Wednesday. The move is estimated to raise about 290 billion yen ($2 billion), given recent share prices. Toyota affiliates, Toyota Industries and Aisin, are also selling a portion of their Denso shares, officials said. Toyota officials have acknowledged they have fallen behind in the industry shift toward electric vehicles, and they have been aggressively playing catch-up. Toyota officials hinted other such offers may be in the works but declined to give specifics.

Persons: ”, Masahiro Yamamoto, Yamamoto, Yamamato, Yuri Kageyama Organizations: TOKYO, Toyota, Toyota Motor Corp, Denso Corp, Toyota Industries, Lexus, KDDI Corp

☆ Japan's Denso to target $8 bln in electrification revenue by FY 2025
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Denso Corp FollowTOKYO, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Japanese automotive supplier Denso (6902.T) aims to increase its revenue from electrification to 1.2 trillion yen ($7.97 billion) by the 2025 business year and 1.7 trillion yen by the turn of the decade, the company said on Wednesday. Denso aimed to grow its revenue from advanced-driver assistance systems (ADAS) to 520 billion yen by the 2025 business year and said it would further unwind cross-shareholdings, according to presentation materials. "As electrification centred on battery electric vehicles progresses from the 2025 business year onward, we want to reach 1.7 trillion yen by 2030 by expanding sales globally," he said. Denso has been ahead of other firms in actively reducing its cross-shareholdings, Matsui said, adding that none of the remaining holdings were off limits. Denso reiterated an October commitment to invest about 500 billion yen in semiconductors by 2030 and pledged to boost the number of workers in software to some 18,000 people by 2030, about 1.5 times of their current level.

Persons: Denso, Yasushi Matsui, Matsui, Daniel Leussink, Muralikumar Organizations: Denso, Thomson

The investment would alleviate the financial burden for Coherent, which has said it will invest $1 billion over the next 10 years to expand its production of silicon carbide wafers, which help boost the range of electric vehicles more than chips made with traditional silicon. Denso Corp (6902.T), Hitachi Ltd (6501.T), Mitsubishi Electric Corp (6503.T) and Sumitomo Electric Industries Inc (5802.T) have held discussions about taking a minority stake in Coherent's silicon carbide business, the source said. Coherent may accept more than one of these companies as investors in the silicon carbide division at a valuation of between $4 billion and $5 billion, the source added, requesting anonymity because the matter is confidential. Coherent, which said in May it would explore options for its silicon carbide business, declined to comment. Chips made with silicon carbide are used in applications that require huge amounts of power conversion, such as inverters and drivetrains in electric vehicles.

Persons: Chips, Milana Vinn, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Denso Corp, Hitachi Ltd, Mitsubishi Electric Corp, Sumitomo Electric Industries Inc, Thomson Locations: U.S, Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania, China, New York

Powerchip and Japanese financial firm SBI Holdings (8473.T) earlier this month said they aim to attract government subsidies to build the plant amid a wave of investment in Japan aimed at boosting its chip manufacturing capabilities. "I think about five to seven years... it depends on the business," Joe Wu, President of PSMC Japan, told Reuters when asked about the timing for a potential listing. Powerchip said it sees scope for additional foundry capacity in Japan, which has seen a lack of investment. The Taiwanese firm previously set up a joint venture in China to build a chip factory which listed in Shanghai this year. Powerchip and SBI hope to attract additional funds for the Japan business and are targeting chip industry customers and financial investors as potential backers, Wu said.

Persons: Powerchip, Joe Wu, Wu, Sam Nussey, Miho Uranaka, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp, SBI Holdings, Reuters, Companies, Renesas Electronics, Mitsubishi Electric, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Sony Group, Denso Corp, Powerchip, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Taiwan, Japan, Kyushu, China, Shanghai

☆ SBI Holdings to help Taiwan's Powerchip build a plant in Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, July 5 (Reuters) - Financial firm SBI Holdings (8473.T) said on Wednesday it would help Taiwan's Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (6770.TW) establish a factory in Japan as the country looks to revive its chip industry. "This is the best possible time to enter chip manufacturing," Kitao said at a joint press conference with the Taiwanese company's chairman, Frank Huang. Powerchip is currently looking at three or four potential sites and manufacturing could begin two years after construction starts, Kitao added. Japan is also funding a homegrown venture, Rapidus, which says it plans to produce advanced logic chips from the middle of the decade with help from IBM Corp (IBM.N). Powerchip provides contract manufacturing services for logic and memory chips for power management to customers including MediaTek Inc (2454.TW), Taiwan's largest designer of mobile phone chips.

Persons: Yoshitaka Kitao, Kitao, Frank Huang, Powerchip, Miho Uranaka, Tim Kelly, Christopher Cushing, Jamie Freed, Louise Heavens Organizations: Financial, SBI Holdings, Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp, SBI, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Sony Group, Denso Corp, Kioxia Corp, Western Digital Corp, chipmaker Micron Technology, IBM Corp, MediaTek Inc, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, Kumamoto prefecture, Hiroshima

While other automakers like Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) have also been caught out by the sharp shift in China, Japanese automakers stand out because of their limited showing in the fast-growing category of electric and plug-in hybrid sales. Mitsubishi, like some other Japanese automakers, does not break out China sales figures. Industry data analysed by Reuters showed its first-quarter sales in China fell by 58% from a year earlier. Nissan Motor Co Ltd (7201.T) posted a 45.8% drop in China sales and Mazda Motor Corp (7261.T) sales were down 66.5% in the first quarter. "Japanese automakers could face a similar struggle in the United States as in China," he said.

TOKYO, April 27 (Reuters) - Japan's Denso Corp (6902.T), a leading supplier to Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T), reported an 86.3% rise in fourth quarter operating profit on Thursday, benefitting from stronger sales and weaker lockdown-induced headwinds. The company, a major manufacturer of automotive parts and chips, posted operating profit of 158.1 billion yen ($1.18 billion) for the three months to end-March, versus an average 161.51 billion yen profit estimated by 10 analysts. A year earlier, the company earned 84.9 billion yen in profit. Denso gets about half of its revenue from the Toyota group, which also includes Toyota truck unit Hino Motors (7205.T) and small-car maker Daihatsu, and counts Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda as a board member. The company, which makes systems for running gasoline engines and driving hybrid and battery-powered vehicles, projected operating profit of 510 billion yen for the current business year that started April 1.

☆ Japan to add $2.3 billion subsidy to Rapidus for Chitose chip plant, media report
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, April 10 (Reuters) - Japan's industry ministry is finalising a plan to provide state-backed chip maker Rapidus an additional 300 billion yen ($2.27 billion) in funding to build a semiconductor plant in the northern island of Hokkaido, a local paper reported on Saturday. Rapidus, which in February picked Chitose, near Sapporo, as the site for a cutting-edge two-nanometre chip factory, previously secured an initial 70 billion yen funding from the government. The additional grant will be used to help Rapidus build a prototype line scheduled to launch in 2025, the Hokkaido Shimbun paper said, citing multiple unidentified sources. The Japanese government is also offering up to 476 billion yen in subsidies to a Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) (2330.TW) plant in Kyushu, in which Sony Group Corp (6758.T) and Denso Corp (6902.T) each have a minority stake. ($1 = 132.3100 yen)Reporting by Kantaro Komiya; Editing by Kenneth MaxwellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Rapidus picks northern Japan's Chitose as semiconductor plant location
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Japan's state-backed Rapidus said on Tuesday it would build its semiconductor plant in Chitose, a manufacturing hub on the nation's northern island of Hokkaido. The factory and a Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (2330.TW) plant under construction on the southern island of Kyushu are the key pillars of Japan's strategy to boost its capability to make more advanced chips and shield itself from supply chain snarls. Rapidus Chairman Tetsuro Higashi told Reuters this month that the company would need about 7 trillion yen ($51.4 billion) of mostly taxpayer money to begin mass producing advanced logic chips around 2027. Chitose, a city of about 100,000 people, already hosts a wide range of factories run by major manufacturers including silicon wafer maker SUMCO Corp (3436.T) and auto components maker Denso Corp (6902.T). ($1 = 136.1500 yen)Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka and Mayu Sakoda; Editing by Edwina GibbsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ TSMC plans second Japan factory to make higher-end chips -media
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (2330.TW) plans to construct a second chip plant in Japan to manufacture 5 and 10 nanometre chips from the second half of the decade, the Nikkan Kogyo newspaper reported on Friday. That decision could help Japan revive advanced semiconductor manufacturing, which it sees as key requirement for future economic growth driven by new digital technologies. TSMC's second plant in Japan will cost more than 1 trillion yen ($7.4 billion) to build, Nikkan Kogyo said. Wei at its last quarterly earnings call in January that the company was considering building a second plant in Japan, and said it had nothing further to add. Japan's government has offered TSMC a 476 billion yen subsidy, or about half the expected cost of the factory.

"We're going to see in 2023, there is still going to be volatility around chips," Ford Chief Financial Officer John Lawler said on Thursday. By the end of 2023, almost 18 million vehicles will have been removed from production plans since the chip shortage started, according to Auto Forecast Solutions. Japan's Denso Corp (6902.T), a leading supplier to Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T), on Friday slashed its annual profit forecast and warned the chip shortage could cause auto production cuts. Toyota in November cut its vehicle production projection for the current financial year through March due to the chip shortage. The head of another auto supplier, Aptiv Plc (APTV.N), which makes advanced driver assistance systems, vehicle computers and high-voltage cabling, said the impact of the chip shortage is not evenly felt.

☆ Japan lawmaker says TSMC is considering second plant in Japan
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Dec 23 (Reuters) - A senior Japanese lawmaker said on Friday that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (2330.TW), the world's largest contract chip maker, is considering building a second plant in Japan in addition to an $8.6 billion dollar facility now under construction. "I believe TSMC is looking into further investments in Japan. TSMC said in an emailed statement that it did not rule out any possibility for Japan but there were no concrete plans at the moment. The Taiwanese company is building a chip plant in southern Japan, with Sony Group Corp (6758.T) and auto parts maker Denso Corp (6902.T) each taking a minority stake. "Technological innovation is fierce in the semiconductor industry," Seki said.

TOKYO, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Japan said on Friday it will invest up to 70 billion yen ($500 million) in a new semiconductor company led by tech firms including Sony Group Corp (6758.T) and NEC Corp (6701.T) as it rushes to re-establish itself as a lead maker of advanced chips. The new chip company will be named Rapidus and aims to begin making chips in the second half of the decade, he added. Japan is also concerned that China may attempt to take control of Taiwan, the global hub for advanced chip production. In July Japan also offered a 93 billion yen subsidy to help memory chip makers Kioxia Corp and Western Digital Corp (WDC.O) expand output in Japan. In September it pledged to give U.S. chipmaker Micron Technology (MU.O) $46.5 billion yen so it can add production capacity at its plant in Hiroshima.

☆ NTT, Kioxia to invest in new Japan-backed logic semiconductor firm - TV Tokyo
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The logo of NTT (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation) is displayed at the company office in Tokyo, Japan September 29, 2020. REUTERS/Issei KatoTOKYO, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Japanese companies, including Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp (9432.T) and Kioxia Holdings Corp, have decided to invest in a new government-backed company that aims to mass-produce next-generation logic semiconductors, TV Tokyo reported on Thursday. Other companies, including Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T), Sony Group (6758.T), SoftBank (9434.T) and Denso Corp (6902.T), also plan to invest about 1 billion yen ($6.84 million) each into the new company, the Nikkei newspaper reported separately. Japan's government will set up a new research centre by the end of 2022 to develop sub 2-nanometer semiconductors, which will be led by a former Tokyo Electron Ltd (8035.T) president, TV Tokyo also said. ($1 = 146.2800 yen)Reporting by Kantaro Komiya; Editing by Jan Harvey and Jane MerrimanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Toyota supplier Denso posts 76% rise in Q2 profit
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Denso Corp (6902.T), Toyota Motor Corp's major supplier, reported a 76% rise in second-quarter operating profit on Friday, missing analysts' estimates. It posted 91.8 billion yen ($626.5 million) in operating profit for the three months to end-September, versus an average 120.48 billion yen profit estimated by five analysts, according to Refinitiv data. A year earlier, the company earned 52.1 billion yen in profit. The company specialising in vehicle air conditioning, power trains and automated driving systems stuck to its already downgraded full-year operating profit forecast of 480 billion yen for the year ending March 31. That compares with a 211 billion yen average forecast by 21 analysts.

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