Rapidus considering building chip factory in Hokkaido, northern Japan-TV Tokyo (updated)

SumCo

15/02/2023 10:48

(Updates with comment by Rapidus spokesperson, background)
       TOKYO, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Japan's state-backed chip
venture Rapidus is considering building a chip factory in
Hokkaido, northern Japan, TV Tokyo reported on Wednesday.
    Rapidus will likely make a formal decision on new factory
site by as early as end-February, according to the report.
    A spokesperson of the chip venture confirmed that Hokkaido
governor will visit its headquarters in Tokyo on Thursday to
discuss plant building. 
        Japan has said it will 
    invest
     an initial 70 billion yen  ($525 million) in Rapidus, a
venture led by tech firms including Sony Group Corp  6758.T  and
NEC Corp  6701.T. 
  
        
    Rapidus
     told Reuters earlier this month that it would need about 7
trillion yen ($54 billion) of mostly taxpayer money to begin
mass producing advanced logic chips in around 2027. 
  
($1 = 133.2700 yen)
 (Reporting by Kantaro Komiya and Kaori Kaneko; Editing by Toby
Chopra)
 ((kaori.kaneko@thomsonreuters.com;))