The semiconductor manufacturing equipment industry in Japan is undergoing a major transformation. With the rapid expansion of the global semiconductor market, the total investment in research and development and equipment by six major domestic semiconductor manufacturing equipment companies in Japan is expected to reach 547 billion yen, which is approximately 1.7 times the amount in the fiscal year 2018 five years ago. Behind this significant growth is the active investment in Japan by overseas semiconductor giants such as TSMC and Micron Technology of the United States, which motivates Japanese equipment companies to accelerate technological innovation and capacity enhancement.

These six major companies include Tokyo Electron, Disco, Advantest, Lasertec, Tokyo Seimitsu, and SCREEN Holdings. The total investment in research and development and equipment in the fiscal year 2023 (for Lasertec, the fiscal year ends in June of the same year) is approximately 547 billion yen. The expansion of this investment scale indicates the vitality of the Japanese semiconductor equipment industry and the strong global demand for high - end manufacturing equipment in the semiconductor market.

At the Semicon Japan exhibition held recently in Tokyo, Toshiki Kawai, president of Tokyo Electron, stated in his December 13 speech: By 2030, the semiconductor market is expected to exceed $1 trillion, showing enormous industry potential. His remarks reflect the industrys optimistic expectations for future development.

Tokyo Electron holds a relatively high global market share in equipment for a wide range of manufacturing processes such as semiconductor film formation, coating, and development. In order to meet the needs of semiconductor manufacturers, the company is promoting technology development and capacity enhancement at its Japanese bases. For example, in July 2023, the company completed the construction of a new technology research and development building in Kuzaki City, Yamanashi Prefecture, and is building new research and development buildings in Kumamoto and Miyagi prefectures.

At the same time, Hitachi High - Technologies is also increasing its investment. In November, it invested 24 billion yen to start building a factory in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Disco also plans to build a research and development building in Tokyo, aiming to complete it in 2027.

With the support of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, overseas giants such as TSMC are investing as much as 8.6 billion US dollars to build a new factory in Kumamoto Prefecture, and Micron Technology plans to invest up to 500 billion yen in Hiroshima Prefecture to increase the production capacity of memory semiconductors. These overseas large - scale enterprises are not only promoting new construction and expansion projects in Japan but also setting up research and development bases, committed to joint development with domestic manufacturing equipment and semiconductor material manufacturers in Japan.

In his December 14 speech, Hisashi Kanezashi, Director of the Information Industry Division at Japans Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, expressed expectations for overseas semiconductor giants to enter Japan and revitalize the domestic semiconductor industry. He mentioned, Top overseas semiconductor companies are considering adopting equipment that leverages Japans advantages and attempting to expand R&D activities in Japan.,

Japanese companies not only invest in facilities but also pay attention to the cultivation and assurance of talents. For example, Lasertec has set a goal of increasing the number of employees to 1.6 times within two years before the fiscal year 2024 and will step up recruitment both in Japan and abroad. In addition, Tokyo Electron joined an education project jointly launched by 11 Japanese and American universities in May 2023, aiming to cultivate female and young engineers.