4 ms·

Not an insider : isn't $7bn relatively cheap? Could it be this plant is for image sensors? I couldn't read the article.

forty 5y ago
No idea for your question, but you should be able to read the archived article here https://archive.is/TM8fk https://archive.is/TM8fk
kube-system 5y ago
The article mentions: > Sony will also help prepare the factory site. Its aim is the stable procurement of semiconductors for its image sensors. > The company controls half of the world's market share for sensors used in smartphones and cameras, with manufacturing bases in Kumamoto and Nagasaki prefectures. The sensors are manufactured in-house, but the semiconductors that process images are procured from third parties, including TSMC. > Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida previously said that the ability to steadily procure semiconductors is important for maintaining Japan's international competitiveness.
- gimmeThaBeet 5y ago
  I was interested to see it was in Western Japan, and after looking it up in context, it isn't surprising when almost all of Sony's foundries are all over Kyushu. Always interested to understand why things are where they are (e.g. proximity to Korea/China, sheer expense of Tokyo or somewhere like Osaka for a large industrial operation).
  - Danieru 5y ago
    Once you get out of the major metro areas the rural towns which are alive all have various major factories. Tokyo and Osaka houses headquarters, manufacturing is almost always in some small town. A big benefit is Japan has a flat consistent tax system. Towns and prefectures cannot compete with tax policy or tax cuts. Thus factories are much more diffuse. The large corporations can bring their support networks with them but when recruiting high school graduates a big plus is to be local. Thus a town might have a couple large factories which can consume the high school graduate supply. Occasionally you'll see various R&D centers. Those tend to be within an hour or two from the major metro. Far enough away the companies can build large campuses and employees can buy large houses for their family. For example HAL Labs, the company which makes Kirby games, has an office in Yamanashi. Which made them one of the rare non publisher video game devs who do not rent.
deleted 5y ago
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zinekeller 5y ago
So, on reading this I imagine that this is purely for "mature" process nodes, and not definitely for cutting-edge nodes, plus the fact that some of the semiconductor infrastructure is already there (for use in image sensors), so 7 billion US dollars might be in the correct ballpark.
crate_barre 5y ago
Sounds cheap but they made a couple of billion on the ps4 alone. Sounds like a reasonable investment.

No idea for your question, but you should be able to read the archived article here https://archive.is/TM8fk https://archive.is/TM8fk

kube-system 5y ago

The article mentions: > Sony will also help prepare the factory site. Its aim is the stable procurement of semiconductors for its image sensors. > The company controls half of the world's market share for sensors used in smartphones and cameras, with manufacturing bases in Kumamoto and Nagasaki prefectures. The sensors are manufactured in-house, but the semiconductors that process images are procured from third parties, including TSMC. > Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida previously said that the ability to steadily procure semiconductors is important for maintaining Japan's international competitiveness.

gimmeThaBeet 5y ago
I was interested to see it was in Western Japan, and after looking it up in context, it isn't surprising when almost all of Sony's foundries are all over Kyushu. Always interested to understand why things are where they are (e.g. proximity to Korea/China, sheer expense of Tokyo or somewhere like Osaka for a large industrial operation).
- Danieru 5y ago
  Once you get out of the major metro areas the rural towns which are alive all have various major factories. Tokyo and Osaka houses headquarters, manufacturing is almost always in some small town. A big benefit is Japan has a flat consistent tax system. Towns and prefectures cannot compete with tax policy or tax cuts. Thus factories are much more diffuse. The large corporations can bring their support networks with them but when recruiting high school graduates a big plus is to be local. Thus a town might have a couple large factories which can consume the high school graduate supply. Occasionally you'll see various R&D centers. Those tend to be within an hour or two from the major metro. Far enough away the companies can build large campuses and employees can buy large houses for their family. For example HAL Labs, the company which makes Kirby games, has an office in Yamanashi. Which made them one of the rare non publisher video game devs who do not rent.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

zinekeller 5y ago

So, on reading this I imagine that this is purely for "mature" process nodes, and not definitely for cutting-edge nodes, plus the fact that some of the semiconductor infrastructure is already there (for use in image sensors), so 7 billion US dollars might be in the correct ballpark.

crate_barre 5y ago

Sounds cheap but they made a couple of billion on the ps4 alone. Sounds like a reasonable investment.