State-backed fund takes over photoresist specialist JSR
The Japanese government and the state-backed Japan Investment Corp (JIC) have acquired a majority stake in JSR.
JSR is a leading player in photoresists, which are light-sensitive materials that are used to etch minuscule patterns on silicon wafers. It is said to have a 27% share of the market.
From March 19 to April 16, JIC bought more than 84% of JSR's shares for Yen 900 billion. It is set to buy the remaining shares, which will make JSR a fully-owned subsidiary of JIC. The Nikkei has now delisted JSR.
The acquisition is expected to help JSR refine its technology and boost its output as demand for advanced semiconductors rises. And it should also help the government's efforts to put Japan back into the heart of the global electronics space. Tokyo is making up to four trillion yen (USD 26 billion) available in state subsidies to help triple the sales of domestically produced chips to more than 15 trillion yen by 2030.
Then there is TSMC. In February, the Taiwanese firm opened a new USD 8.6-billion factory in Kumamoto Prefecture with mass production scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter. It is now building a second fab in the same region.
