KIOXIA and Western Digital to Invest a Total of 729 Billion Yen in Advanced Semiconductor Memory Technologies to Expand Production
🟦 Kioxia and Western Digital Announce Massive Investment to Expand Large-Scale Production of Semiconductor Memory
KIOXIA and Western Digital announced that they will invest a total of 729 billion yen to expand production of advanced NAND memory products. The investment period is until April 2029, and the company will build a new production line for NAND flash memory with 218 layers of semiconductor elements. The first shipment is scheduled for September 2025. It is an 8th and 9th generation NAND memory that features fast data write and read speeds and low power consumption.
🟦 Supported by subsidies from the METI
With the increase in demand for data centers and the spread of generative AI, there is a need for advanced semiconductor memory products. There is a need to expand production accordingly. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) will support the growth of the industry by providing subsidies of up to 243 billion yen. Mass production at the Yokkaichi and Kitakami plants is expected to create approximately 9,000 jobs, which is expected to have a ripple effect on the local economy.
🟦Summary
METI has announced subsidies of up to 243 billion yen, and Kioxia and Western Digital will invest a total of 729 billion yen in advanced semiconductor memory technologies to expand production.
The first round of grants was intended to be funded by an existing expansion plan. This time, the impact of subsidies would have directly affected investment. The 1/3 subsidy is very large.
