The state of the Japanese semiconductor industry in the next century

The Japanese semiconductor industry must bear some burdens in the future. First, it must invest a vast amount of funds for technology development and manufacturing equipment, keeping cash flow management. Second, in the beginning of the multimedia era, technologies are transforming themselves to more delicate, diversified, and amalgamated ones, and the self-contained business style will not be able to exist any longer. Thus, worldwide strategic alliances are becoming inevitable. Third, the semiconductor industry is expanding all over the world. To cope with the fast industry build-up of Asian countries such as Korea and Taiwan, the Japanese must be equipped for tougher competition.