Japan plans to build a microchip factory on the Moon by 2040

Japan is planning an unprecedented step in the semiconductor manufacturing industry. According to Ixbt.com, Atsuyoshi Koike, President and CEO of Rapidus Corp, announced at an event at the Hudson Institute in Washington that the company is seriously considering the possibility of building a semiconductor factory on the Moon by 2040, relying on lunar water resources. This was reported by Ixbt.com reports .

Koike emphasized that this statement is not a joke, showing the audience a special video featuring the planned factory on the lunar surface. He believes such an ambitious initiative would certainly appeal to entrepreneur Elon Musk, who is working on transporting humans and cargo to space via SpaceX.

Technological cooperation and new horizons

Currently, Rapidus Corp is actively working on mass-producing 2nm-class microchips at its plant in Hokkaido. In this process, the American technology giant IBM is providing close technical support.

IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, who attended the event, noted that the two companies are collaborating not only on implementing existing technologies but also on R&D for more advanced 1nm-range chips. The idea of space-based manufacturing is seen as a logical continuation of these high-tech processes.

The realization of the lunar factory project is directly linked to the availability of water resources required for microchip production. Establishing industrial facilities outside Earth's jurisdiction could fundamentally change the development vector of the global technology market in the future.

Although this initiative is currently viewed as a long-term strategic plan, the cooperation between Japanese and US companies demonstrates an aim to not only create the world's most advanced semiconductors but also to elevate humanity's capabilities in the space industry to a new level.