"Pricing cannot lose to TSMC!" Japan Semiconductor "National Team" Rapidus plans to set the price of 2nm wafer foundry at a minimum of 3 million yen per piece.

According to Atsuyoshi Koike, CEO of Japanese semiconductor outsourced manufacturing company Rapidus, the company plans to set the pricing for its 2-nanometer technology at a level not higher than its competitor Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Sponsored ADR (TSM.US). The technology is expected to begin mass production in the second half of the 2027 fiscal year. Specifically, the price per wafer is expected to be between 3 million and 3.5 million Japanese yen, equivalent to approximately 18,500 to 21,500 US dollars. Koike made the statement at a press conference held earlier this month in Japan. Koike stated, "We cannot lose on pricing." He further stated that the pricing will at least be on par with or slightly lower than Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Sponsored ADR. Currently, the price of a 300mm wafer from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Sponsored ADR for a comparable advanced process technology is around 30,000 US dollars, and there have been rumors of further price increases. If Rapidus can achieve its pricing, it will have significant price competitiveness. Rapidus, supported by the Japanese government as part of the semiconductor "national team," was established in August 2022 and is funded by eight Japanese industry giants including Toyota, Sony, NTT, NEC, SoftBank, Denso, Kioxia, and Mitsubishi UFJ Bank. The company was formed as Japan is trailing behind overseas competitors in advanced process technology by 10 to 20 years, with the intention of regaining the initiative in cutting-edge semiconductor manufacturing through a national effort. Rapidus's 2-nanometer technology development is supported by a strategic alliance with IBM, which provides packaging technology support for high-performance semiconductors. IBM not only licenses the 2-nanometer chip manufacturing technology but also provides high-performance semiconductor packaging technology support, with both companies jointly developing advanced chiplet packaging production technology. In addition, Rapidus has partnerships with international partners such as the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany and A*STAR IME in Singapore. The level of support from the Japanese government for Rapidus is unprecedented. Earlier this year, the government approved additional subsidies of approximately 631.5 billion Japanese yen (about 4 billion US dollars) to accelerate Rapidus' entry into the AI chip manufacturing field. Its outsourced factory is located in Chitose, Hokkaido. As of now, the total cumulative research and development support for the fiscal years 2022 to 2026 has reached 2.354 trillion Japanese yen (about 15.4 billion US dollars). Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry Hiroshi Kajiyama has publicly stated, "We must ensure success for a project that receives such a large amount of taxpayers' money." The government also plans to provide an additional support of approximately 300 billion Japanese yen in the 2027 fiscal year. Some commentators have described this move as a billion-dollar gamble to turn Hokkaido into the "next Taiwan." Currently, Rapidus is in contact with over 60 potential clients. Fujitsu, as one of the founding investors, has been confirmed as the first commercial customer and plans to commission Rapidus to produce 2nm AI neural network processors. Japan IBM is also seen as the second-largest "anchor customer," with both companies evaluating having Rapidus manufacture advanced semiconductors for them. The rise of AI computing has driven the surge in global semiconductor demand. According to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), global semiconductor sales reached $120.6 billion in May 2026, a 9.2% month-on-month increase and a staggering 104% year-on-year increase, marking 15 consecutive months of monthly sales growth.