On December 8, Reuters reported that Toshiba and Rohm said they would invest 388.3 billion yen ($2.7 billion) to jointly produce power chips.

The latest partnership was hoped for by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry amid concerns that the country's power chip industry was too fragmented to catch up with industry giant Infineon Technologies AG.

The ministry also said it would provide subsidies of up to 129.4 billion yen, or one-third of the total investment, to help the domestic power chip industry remain competitive.

Power chips effectively control electricity in automobiles, electronic devices, and industrial equipment. The department expects the global power chip market to grow to 5 trillion yen by 2030.

Under the latest plan, ROHM will invest 289.2 billion yen in a new factory in Miyazaki Prefecture, southern Kyushu Island, to produce silicon carbide power chips, which are favored by electric car makers for their ability to handle high voltages and be more efficient. welcome.

Toshiba will invest 99.1 billion yen to build a cutting-edge 300mm manufacturing plant in Ishikawa Prefecture in central Japan for the production of silicon power chips. Chips produced by the two factories will be sold under their own brands.

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