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Japan’s Industry Ministry said it will provide about 45.2 billion yen ($307 million) in subsidies to develop optical technology for use in chips to support the country’s semiconductor industry, according to Reuters.
Participating companies include NTT, NEC, Furukawa Electric, Shinko Electric and Kioxia, in consultation with Intel and SK Hynix.
The chip industry aims to use light to transmit signals, speeding up transmission and reducing power consumption.
«With any luck, technology will change the future,» said Japan’s Industry Minister Ken Saito.
The initiative comes as Japan strives to maintain its edge in the chip industry and strengthen partnerships with allied nations, while China makes progress in advanced technologies.
