TSMC board member Paul Liu confirmed the chipmaker will break ground on a second fab in Kikuyo, Kumamoto Prefecture, in 2025 as scheduled, rejecting speculation that Japan's role in its global expansion is being diminished.
In an interview in Osaka on August 21, Liu, who is also head of Taiwan's National Development Council (NDC), emphasized that the Kumamoto project remains on track and will not be deprioritized despite TSMC's increasing investment in US fabs, Kyodo News reported.
His comments followed speculation that TSMC's multibillion-dollar investment in Arizona to meet soaring AI chip demand could delay its Japanese joint venture, JASM.
Liu reiterated that Japan remains a strategic priority in TSMC's global investment roadmap.
Speculation was fueled by TSMC's decision to shift the groundbreaking from early 2025 to later in the year. Chairman C.C. Wei said in June that the delay was linked to traffic congestion around the Kumamoto site.
According to Nikkei, TSMC has repeatedly stressed that its US buildout will not come at the expense of investment plans in other regions.
Wei told investors in July that work on the Kumamoto fab would start in 2025, subject to local infrastructure readiness. He did not provide a production start date, saying the timing would hinge on customer requirements and market conditions.
Article edited by Jack Wu
