TOKYO -- A research organization led by Japanese chipmaker Rapidus will send 200 engineers to the U.S. to train at startup Tenstorrent, which build chips for artificial intelligence, Nikkei has learned.
asia.nikkei.com/, Jun. 15, 2024 –
The Leading-edge Semiconductor Technology Center (LSTC) will start sending candidates to Tenstorrent as early as this year. A total of 200 engineers will be trained over five years.
Japan, once the global semiconductor industry leader, has suffered a 60% decrease in chip engineers over two decades. The training initiative by the Japanese government-backed LSTC seeks to reverse this decline and regain the country's edge in advanced chipmaking.
Candidates for the training program will be mainly graduate students or chip designers from the private-sector in their 30s and 40s.
They will work at Tenstorrent for one or two years. Upon returning to Japan, the engineers could find jobs in such industries as telecommunications or autos, or at research institutions.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will extend billions of yen (1 billion yen equals $6.4 million) in subsidies toward the effort, helping to pay for pre-departure training and living costs overseas.
LSTC is a research consortium formed by Rapidus and the Japanese government in 2022. Members include the University of Tokyo, along with other national universities and research institutes.
Rapidus, which was also established in 2022 with state backing, aims to begin mass production of 2-nanometer chips in 2027, which would put it among the world's most advanced chipmakers alongside the likes of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.
But without the semiconductor expertise at the customer level in Japan, its growth prospects are limited.
Under a partnership between Rapidus and Tenstorrent, the two are seeking to develop specialized AI chips that have lower power consumption than the graphics processing units made by U.S.-based Nvidia, the AI sector's current mainstay.
Tenstorrent is led by chip industry veteran Jim Keller. By bringing in a ready supply of engineers from Japan, Tenstorrent will be able to expand its development team while saving on hiring costs.
In the 1980s, Japanese semiconductor companies held a global market share that surpassed 50%. But they lost momentum after a 1986 semiconductor agreement with the U.S. imposed trade limits.
South Korean and Taiwanese players became the dominant players in advanced chips as Japanese rivals pulled out of the race, unable to keep up with the massive investment costs.
A potential shortage of 100,000 semiconductor professionals looms in Japan, according to the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association. This includes engineers working on materials and production equipment.
The shortage is particularly severe for talent ages 20-39. Companies in a wide range of areas from chip manufacturing to chip design are under pressure to train workers.
Earlier this year, Kumamoto University established a new semiconductor curriculum, with facilities including a clean room for hands-on training. Hokkaido University last year created a task force for promoting semiconductor training.