With high quality water, excellent labor and other resources, NEC Kyushu, Toshiba and other leading Japanese semiconductor enterprises have located their bases in Kyushu, earning it the nickname of “Silicon Island.” In addition to large-scale integrated mass production plants, numerous preproduction and postproduction plants are located here as well. Tokyo Electron, Mitsui High-tec and many other semiconductor manufacturing equipment and materials businesses have operations in Kyushu. This concentration of industrial bases in the region includes the establishment of plants with design capabilities, further increasing the depth of the industry in the region. Several local governments, seeking to make their regions into centers for LSI design and development, are also pursuing their own individual projects to attract businesses related to the semiconductor industry.

A base for fusing the automotive and semiconductor industries

In recent years, as the automobile industry in Kyushu has steadily expanded, the demand for semiconductors for use in automobiles has grown, increasing business opportunities for semiconductor enterprises that can respond to the steady demand of large clients.

At the leading edge of solar cell technology

In addition, with the establishment of multiple manufacturing plants for next-generation thin-film solar cells, Kyushu has also become a center for cutting-edge solar cell manufacturing, with Kyushu’s main solar cells plants operated by Honda Motor, Fuji Electric Systems, Showa Shell Sekiyu and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
Such depth of corporate activity and subsequent business opportunities firmly places Kyushu squarely at the backbone of the semiconductor industry in Japan.

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