"Building a Semiconductor Factory on the Moon by 2040?" Rapidus President Says, "It's Not a Joke"

【Financial News, Tokyo = Correspondent Hye-jin Seo】 Japanese semiconductor company Rapidus has unveiled an ambitious plan to build a semiconductor factory on the Moon around 2040. The company, which is pursuing the domestic production of next-generation semiconductors, plans to use water found on the Moon in semiconductor manufacturing.
According to Kyodo News on the 10th, Rapidus President Atsuyoshi Koike said at an event hosted by the Hudson Institute, a U.S. think tank, "We are envisioning building a semiconductor factory on the lunar surface around 2040. It is not a joke but a serious plan."
Semiconductor production requires enormous quantities of ultrapure water for processes such as wafer cleaning. Koike cited the existence of water resources on the Moon that could be used in semiconductor manufacturing as the basis for the factory concept.
At the event, the company also unveiled an AI-generated video depicting a semiconductor factory on the lunar surface. Referring to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who is pursuing a business to transport people and cargo to the Moon, Koike said, "Elon will really like this video," drawing laughter from the audience.
Building a semiconductor factory on the Moon would involve significant technological and economic hurdles, including transporting materials, supplying power, and establishing a precision manufacturing environment. The concept is being interpreted less as an immediately actionable business plan than as a long-term vision intended to inspire young engineers to take on new challenges.
Rapidus is currently preparing for mass production of 2-nanometer-class semiconductors at its plant in Chitose, Hokkaido. Arvind Krishna, CEO of IBM, who attended the event, said the two companies are also jointly conducting research and development on semiconductors in the 1-nanometer range, which offer higher performance than 2-nanometer chips.
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