Japan and the United States will establish a roadmap for the collaborative development of next-generation semiconductors, according to a joint statement issued by the two countries’ senior trade officials on Friday.
During discussions in Detroit, Yasutoshi Nishimura, Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry, and Gina Raimondo, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, agreed that the two nations will collaborate in areas such as biotechnology-based drug development, artificial intelligence (AI), and quantum technology.
In their statement, Nishimura and Raimondo emphasized that strengthening Japan-U.S. cooperation is “essential for bolstering the economic prosperity and security of both countries, as well as for maintaining and enhancing the regional economic order.”
Japan and U.S. to Develop Next-Generation Semiconductors
In addition, they reaffirmed the significance of bolstering global supply chains via the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity and other mechanisms.
Nishimura told the media after the talks, “I want to significantly accelerate Japan-U.S. cooperation in technological development and other fields.”
Tokyo and Washington will create a road map for jointly developing next-generation semiconductor technology and training personnel in order to strengthen semiconductor supply chains.
In the near future, the U.S. government intends to establish a National Semiconductor Technology Center, which will collaborate with the Leading-edge Semiconductor Technology Center that the Japanese government established last year.
In the field of biotechnology, the two administrations intend to collaborate to foster connections between drug development firms. Cooperation will be strengthened to promote the industrial use of quantum computers, and the development of a supply network will be accelerated.
Additionally, efforts will be made to increase the competitiveness of private companies in Pacific island nations, including start-ups, as China increases its presence in the region through infrastructure development and enormous financing.
Japan and the United States will collaborate to establish a market share target for Open RAN, a technology that integrates equipment from numerous manufacturers to create a network of essential base stations for telecommunications.
During their meeting, Nishimura and Raimondo agreed to convene a second meeting of the Japan-U.S. Economic Policy Consultative Committee, also known as the Economic “2+2,” incorporating the foreign and economic ministers of both countries, as soon as possible.