As AI rapidly expands demand for computing power, semiconductor competition is no longer defined by chip performance alone. Advanced manufacturing, new materials, advanced packaging, energy, and the resilience of the surrounding supply chain are becoming critical sources of competitive advantage. Japan enters this new era with one of the world’s deepest semiconductor ecosystems, built on longstanding strengths in manufacturing equipment, materials, precision engineering, and industrial know-how. Yet technology roadmaps are moving faster, and discontinuous shifts such as new materials and 3D integration are becoming increasingly difficult for any single company to address through internal R&D alone.

At the same time, global capital is moving earlier into Hard Tech, while leading companies are positioning themselves for future technology shifts through startups, external innovation, and strategic investment. How can Japan turn today’s industrial strengths into leadership in the next technology roadmap?

This session will explore how the AI era is reshaping semiconductor manufacturing and the broader physical infrastructure behind it; where the next bottlenecks and business opportunities are emerging; and how Japanese companies can combine world-class internal capabilities with external technologies and startups. Drawing on real-world models including SOSV’s Plasma Forge initiative, the discussion will examine what Japanese companies need to do now to turn today’s strengths into sustainable competitive advantage for the next generation.