Key Product
2nm-class logic (IBM partnership)
Depends On
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Rapidus is a Japanese government-backed foundry established in 2022 with the ambitious goal of manufacturing 2nm-class chips in Japan by 2027. The company is backed by a consortium of Japanese companies including Toyota, Sony, NTT, and SoftBank, and has partnered with IBM for process technology. Japan's government has committed over ¥3.3 trillion ($22 billion) to semiconductor revitalization, with Rapidus as the flagship initiative. The fab is being built in Chitose, Hokkaido, near abundant renewable energy and water resources. Rapidus represents Japan's most aggressive attempt in decades to re-enter leading-edge chip manufacturing, a segment it exited in the late 1990s. Success is not guaranteed — the technical and financial hurdles are formidable — but the strategic imperative is clear.