News
Lam Research Japan president discusses deepening ties in Hokkaido (site of Rapidus fab)
Friday, November 28, 2025 at 08:02 PM
Lam Research's Japan president expressed a desire to strengthen cooperation with the local community in Hokkaido, signaling the company's focus on future equipment sales and partnerships at the site of the new Rapidus 2nm fab.
Context
In a signal of commitment to Japan's ambitious semiconductor goals, the president of Lam Research Japan announced plans to deepen ties in Hokkaido. This follows earlier reports that the US-based equipment giant will establish a logistics base in the region to directly support Rapidus, the government-backed startup building a next-generation chip fab in Chitose, Hokkaido. The move indicates that supply chain preparations are accelerating ahead of the fab's operational deadlines.
This development solidifies the formation of a critical supplier cluster around the Rapidus project. Lam Research joins other key vendors like ASML and Applied Materials in establishing a local presence, validating the fab's aggressive timeline. For investors, this signals that equipment orders are firming up ahead of the Rapidus 2-nm pilot line launch scheduled for April 2025, with mass production targeted for 2027. The clustering of top-tier suppliers is a key de-risking event for Japan's effort to re-enter leading-edge chip manufacturing.
Sources (26)
Can Rapidus restore the semiconductor industry of Japan?Atsuyoshi Koike, the president and CEO of Rapidus, says ...半導体投資の波、北海道を新たな成長拠点へ | お知らせ - ジェトロRapidus Set to Open 2-nm Pilot Fab, CEO SaysRapidus Signs Comprehensive Collaboration Agreement with ...Rapidus: From Hokkaido to the World | JAPAN ForwardJapan's Rapidus to build cutting-edge 1.4-nm chip plant in .../C O R R E C T I O N -- Lam Research Corporation/
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