Japan Universities Gear Up to Train New Generation of Chip Talent

· Major Japanese chip-sector manufacturers will need at least 40,000 extra professionals over the next decade, according to the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association.

· Rapidus, Japan's recently formed chipmaker backed by the government, has chosen to build a new plant in Hokkaido.

[ABS News Service/05.06.2024]

Colleges and universities across Japan have launched full-fledged efforts to train specialized researchers and engineers to underpin the country's resurgent semiconductor industry.

The number of employees in Japan's chip sector peaked in 2000, then began declining to bottom out in the mid-2010s. It has picked up again in recent years, thanks mainly to the arrival of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and Rapidus.

In the first half of 2023, there were 12.8 times as many open positions for semiconductor-industry engineers as in 2013, according to data from job placement firm Recruit.

Major Japanese chip-sector manufacturers will need at least 40,000 extra professionals over the next decade, according to the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association.

The industry, including makers of chipmaking materials and devices, as well as foreign-owned manufacturers, is at risk of falling short by an estimated 100,000 people.

Kumamoto University -- located in Kumamoto prefecture, where TSMC is building its chip production complex -- established a semiconductor device curriculum in fiscal 2024. Students wearing protective suits receive hands-on training in a clean room built on the school's premises.

It is unusual for a Japanese university to have an entire course devoted solely to semiconductors. Classes include an introduction to semiconductors and one for integrated-systems design.

Only 20 spots were open for the first academic year. The university had 46 applicants to choose from.

"Technology evolves quickly in the semiconductor industry," said Tohoku University engineering professor Tetsuo Endoh as to whether someone could start learning the field after being hired. "Knowledge in a wide range of fields is necessary, and in-house [company] training has its limits."

Many people who switch to semiconductors from another field have studied semiconductors in college, according to Recruit.

The Kyushu region, in which Kumamoto is located, "is where semiconductor engineers can shine," said Tsuyoshi Usagawa, a vice president at Kumamoto University.

TSMC is scheduled to put its first Kumamoto chip fab into operation by year-end. The prefecture is also home to facilities of Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing and Tokyo Electron Kyushu.

Nearly 50 Kumamoto University graduates currently find jobs in the semiconductor industry, a figure that will top 100 in fiscal 2027. TSMC has signed an agreement pledging to offer Kumamoto University students paid internships at the company's headquarters in Taiwan, as well as scholarships.

Kumamoto University will construct new training and research facilities in the spring of 2025 and add more instructors.

Rapidus, Japan's recently formed chipmaker backed by the government, has chosen to build a new plant in Hokkaido. In that prefecture, chip consortium between industry, government and academia is in the works.

"We'll train top talent," said Junji Yamaguchi, executive vice president at Hokkaido University.

Hokkaido University is rapidly putting together an infrastructure for training semiconductor professionals. It is also collaborating with Tohoku University and Kumamoto University to acquire expertise.

"Industry is not flourishing in Hokkaido, and 80% of the graduates leave the prefecture," Yamaguchi said. "Going forward, I believe Rapidus and related companies will be recipients" of the students, he added. Hokkaido University looks to send more than 180 people to the semiconductor industry by around 2030 -- triple the current figure.

Tohoku University has 8,500 sq. meters of clean rooms, ranking first by area in Japan. To train students, the university has a production line processing 300-millimeter silicon wafers -- on a par with state-of-the-art facilities.

The Tokyo Institute of Technology established a center for semiconductor research and training in fiscal 2024. The facility will focus on large-scale integrated circuits that Rapidus will make.

A successful student will receive an "LSI innovator" endorsement to put on resumes for job interviews. An information session held in April drew 60 or so people -- more than expected.

Hiroshima University will add 30 slots for the relevant graduate program and is hiring around six new full-time instructors. Twenty-five technical schools across the country are establishing a joint training program for semiconductors.

Students have demonstrated a strong interest in the semiconductor industry, according to observers.

"The artificial intelligence labs used to be more popular with students, but now there is larger demand for semiconductors," a graduate researcher at Kumamoto University said.