Key Facts
• April 11, 2026: Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Akazawa Ryosei announced ¥631.5 billion additional R&D funding for Rapidus.
• Funding targets fiscal year 2026 for advanced semiconductor domestic production.
• Announcement made at new facility opening ceremony at Rapidus factory in Chitose, Hokkaido.
• Rapidus aims for mass production of 2-nanometer circuit width semiconductors by late fiscal 2027.
• Total government support to Rapidus reaches ¥2.354 trillion.
• Separate government equity investment of ¥250 billion planned for fiscal years 2025 and 2026.
• Support also extended to two advanced semiconductor design projects by Fujitsu and IBM Japan.
• New analysis center and R&D site opened for prototype evaluation and post-processing innovation.
• Government aims to increase domestic semiconductor manufacturing sales from ¥6 trillion in 2022 to ¥40 trillion by 2040.
Summary
The Japanese government, under Minister Akazawa Ryosei, has intensified support for Rapidus, a key player in domestic advanced semiconductor production. With an additional ¥631.5 billion allocated for fiscal 2026 research and development, the government aims to accelerate Rapidus’s goal of mass-producing 2-nanometer semiconductors by late 2027. This funding raises total government support to ¥2.354 trillion, supplemented by a ¥250 billion equity investment over two years. The announcement coincided with the opening of a new analysis center and R&D facility at Rapidus’s Hokkaido factory, enhancing prototype evaluation and post-processing innovation. Additional backing for Fujitsu and IBM Japan’s semiconductor design projects aims to strengthen Rapidus’s customer base. The government’s broader strategy targets expanding domestic semiconductor manufacturing sales from ¥6 trillion in 2022 to ¥40 trillion by 2040, reflecting the sector’s strategic importance under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s administration.
