Chip Plant Wizard Faces Hokkaido’s Bitter Weather in Latest Test
- Kajima has built semiconductor fabs for TSMC and others
- ‘Work should not stop, no matter what,’ one partner said
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The Japanese construction firm Kajima Corp. has ridden a boom in building semiconductor plants to a surge in its revenue and stock price. Now, the Tokyo company will have to navigate bitter conditions on the northern island of Hokkaido to keep up that success.
Kajima helped Japan get off to a quick start in developing its chip industry after governments around the world recognized the need for reliable silicon supplies amid rising geopolitical tensions. The company led the speedy construction of a new fabrication facility for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. on the southern island of Kyushu, bringing the project to fruition before the US government could dole out its first subsidy check to TSMC and other chipmakers for American fabs.