Honda Motor eyes investment in chipmaker Rapidus
Japan's Honda Motor Co. is considering investing in Rapidus Corp., a Tokyo-based chipmaker working to realise domestic production of next-generation semiconductors.
With the investment, the automaker aims to domestically procure such semiconductors, to be used for automated driving systems, to enhance its supply chains, sources have said.
Rapidus has also received investments from another Japanese automaker, Toyota Motor Corp. and electronics and entertainment giant Sony Group Corp.
The chipmaker is asking shareholders and financial institutions to make fresh investments in the company. Honda's investment would make it easier for Rapidus to procure more funds from the private sector and secure clients.
Rapidus plans to start mass production of cutting-edge chips with a circuit line width of 2 nanometers at its plant in Chitose in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido from 2027.
The government's financial assistance to Rapidus is set to exceed 1.7 trillion yen at the maximum. As the mass production requires a total of 5 trillion yen, the company needs to raise more funds from the private sector.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
Photo by Reuters
