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Fukuoka City expands support for fabless semiconductor companies to leverage TSMC presence in Kumamoto
Saturday, January 3, 2026 at 07:40 AM
Fukuoka City is expanding its support measures to attract fabless semiconductor design firms to the Tenjin district. The initiative seeks to create a regional synergy with TSMC's manufacturing presence in neighboring Kumamoto Prefecture, strengthening the semiconductor ecosystem in Kyushu.
Context
Fukuoka City is significantly expanding its financial incentives to attract fabless semiconductor companies, aiming to leverage the massive presence of TSMC in nearby Kumamoto. By positioning the redeveloping Tenjin district as a premier design and management hub, the city intends to create a powerful regional synergy where Fukuoka serves as the "brain" for the advanced manufacturing "factories" now scaling across Kyushu.
The enhanced support package, highlighted in January 2026, offers subsidies of up to 200 million yen for office rent and high-tech recruitment. This initiative seeks to bolster the city’s current cluster of roughly 30 chip design firms by attracting global AI and automotive specialists. The move coincides with TSMC’s first plant reaching stable production and its second facility preparing for a December 2027 launch. Total semiconductor-related investments in the Kyushu region have now surpassed 2.9 trillion yen, signaling a rapid maturation of the local AI supply chain.
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