Asia Government Funding Surges

Billions of dollars have been pouring into Asian countries for the past few years in an effort to boost their production capacity, explore leading-edge technology, compete on the global stage, and shore up supply chains in the face of geopolitical turmoil.

Each country has its own plan to maintain a foothold in the global market, from China’s Big Fund to Korea’s Yongin Cluster and Japan’s Rapidus consortium. Meanwhile, India and Southeast Asia have launched numerous programs to attract international companies and build talent pipelines to support new facilities.

(See below for background information on Government Programs in select Asian countries and Tables showing select 2024 or late 2023 announcements. This is the fourth and final article in a series on government funding around the globe. Global is here. Americas is here. EMEA is here.)

No country has achieved end-to-end supply chain independence, and it seems that co-operation between like-minded countries is here to stay.

“We see interdependence across the global semiconductor ecosystem,” said Nina Lin, vice president and general manager of Southeast Asia EDA at Siemens Digital Industries Software. “The semiconductor industry is highly complex. It requires a broad spectrum of resources, deep technical knowledge and expertise. It also requires partnerships and collaborations to effectively and seamlessly manage every semiconductor lifecycle stage, including end-to-end traceability, real-time visibility, lifecycle management, and supply chain manufacturing, just to name a few. It thus requires the whole ecosystem to evolve.”

Alongside the competition to build capacity and develop technology is the challenge to find talent in a market where younger generations are demanding more from their employers than a paycheck.

“We’re witnessing a transition happening in the workforce in many parts of the world,” said Lin. “Experienced employees are reaching retirement or moving into new roles, software and electronics engineering skills are growing in demand, and the next generation of engineers wants to work for companies that can demonstrate sustainability, corporate responsibility, and technological innovation. New roles and skill compositions will be needed as companies increasingly integrate advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI and ML) into their manufacturing environments. Ensuring that new waves of employees are equipped with appropriate knowledge and tools will be crucial.”

For companies focused purely on AI hardware or design, there is an extra challenge. “The world is not rife with AI talent today,” said Paul Karazuba, vice president of marketing at Expedera. “10 years from now, it’s going to be different.”

In such a competitive environment for top talent, a global workforce strategy can come down to the old saying, ‘It’s not what you know but who.’ “We meet people through trade shows or through technology, but more often than not, it’s through connections,” said Karazuba. “As big as the semiconductor industry can seem, it is also a small world.  We tend to know people everywhere.”

One way to fill a talent gap is to open an international office where the talent already exists instead of importing workers to a domestic location. For example, Lam Research recently opened a new campus in the Korea government-backed Yongin semiconductor cluster. It also partnered with the Korean Semiconductor Industry Association and Sungkyunkwan University on education and workforce development.

Likewise, Expedera took a targeted approach in India. “We had wanted to expand in India, and the particular location was chosen because we knew of a very small but very experienced group of AI engineers who were looking to make a move as a group,” said Karazuba. “So rather than ask them to move somewhere else, which is a difficult and expensive thing to do, we just opened an office in that location. That’s what happened with our UK location, as well. We knew of three particular engineers and we really wanted them, so we decided, ‘Let’s just open an office there.’ Our offices in Asia initially were chosen for proximity to customers, but we’re not going to open an office unless we know that there’s a local talent base. In Taipei, Shanghai, Singapore, everyone knows there’s chip talent. And moving forward, we certainly want to hire people in existing offices, but it’s going to be that same approach. If we can identify local talent, as long as it is a business-friendly location, and an IP-friendly location in terms of the laws, then we’re going to open an office near talent.”

India is a rising star due to its rich talent pool. The country’s first fabs have received government approval for construction and EDA companies have had a presence for years.

For example, Cadence has been a part of the Indian government’s Specialized Manpower Development Program (SMDP) in VLSI Design, Phases I and II, from the year of its establishment, according to Jayashankar Narayanankutti, sales group director for Cadence Design Systems (India). “Phase I started in 1998, so it has been a long collaboration,” he said.

More recently, Cadence collaborated with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) committee on a model curriculum for an undergraduate degree in electronics engineering (VLSI), and the company’s software is accessible through the national Electronic Design Automation (EDA) grid to all startups selected for the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) program. “This integration supports startups across India in leveraging advanced electronic design automation tools to enhance their product development capabilities,” said Narayanankutti.

Cadence is working with India’s MeitY (Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology) for the Chips to Startups program (C2S) to provide EDA tools to 150 universities, aiming to develop a pool of 85,000 trained engineers by 2027, said Narayanankutti. “Additionally, Cadence aligns with the ChipIn initiative overseen by CDAC (Centre for Development of Advanced Computing), enabling universities to engage in both research and development for chip design while also fostering startup creation in this critical sector.”

Siemens, Synopsys, Ansys, and Keysight also contributed to the ChipsIn Center, while Lam Research partnered with Indian institutions to teach semiconductor fabrication and donated software.

Countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore also have seen a slew of government/industry partnerships. “In recent years, ASEAN [the Association of Southeast Asian Nations] governments are increasingly investing in the semiconductor industry to create high end value jobs, especially in the front-end IC design and foundries,” said Lin.

For example, Synopsys, Cadence, and Siemens all partnered the Vietnam National Innovation Center (NIC) to support IC design and workforce development, among other initiatives. Siemens also partnered with Saigon Hi-Tech Park and Vietbay. “These programs are scalable and are able to extend to front end foundry (FAB),” said Lin.

Synopsys has multiple initiatives underway worldwide, in Asia, and Southeast Asia. In Singapore, the company builds curriculum with Singapore Semiconductor Industry Association (SSIA) and Nanyang Technical University. In Taiwan, it works with government entities to help fund academic programs, support research, and run the Purple 100 Program, which trains about 100 participants annually in front-end and back-end design. Synopsys also is  working with National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) to establish the NYCU-Synopsys EDA/AI Research Center. In India, the company partnered with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay to sponsor the Synopsys Semiconductor Lab for Virtual Fab Solutions. It uses its SARA program to engage in end-to-end solutions, and collaborates with over 30 institutions on curriculum review and enhancement.

As the demand for semiconductors continues to grow, with ever-evolving applications and end products, the demand for talent, R&D, and manufacturing capacity also will rise.

“We see semiconductors at the center of a changing world and the heartbeat of today’s smart technology,” said Siemens’ Lin. “After the disruption of a pandemic, we see the frailty of supply chains, and also the role technology plays in connecting people. There’s huge potential that AI will bring in, enabling new possibilities and transforming the industries. Society is also demanding more sustainable and responsible corporate management, and companies must balance societal responsibility with cost.”

Asian government schemes and recent announcements

The following provides a summary of significant government initiatives in select Asian countries along with a table of announcements made in 2024.

Taiwan government funding
Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs (MoEA) invests primarily via its Ministry of Science and Technology, with initiatives such as the A+ Industrial Innovative R&D Program, under which it offers the Industrial Technology Foresight Research Program, the Global Innovation Partnership Initiatives Program, and the A+ Startup Technology Enhancement Program (A+STEP). A key regulation to support these efforts is the Statute for Industrial Innovation (Jun 2023).

The Taiwanese government has strong ties with many companies, including NVIDIA. For example, in 2018 NVIDIA said it would co-invest with the government to bring its advanced technology to Taiwan. Then, in May 2023, the company said it would invest up to TWD24.3 billion (US$790 million) in an AI research center, to be jointly managed by National Taiwan University, with a government subsidy of TWD6.7 billion. Its supercomputer, Taipei-1, is up and running in Kaohsiung.

The government reportedly spent about NT$6.5 billion (US$211.6 million) in five years supporting local equipment and materials suppliers to build their R&D capabilities. In addition, Invest Taiwan has a semiconductor division to encourage foreign companies, such as Cadence, to build in the country.

Japan government funding
Most Japanese government funding is made via its Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). Other agencies include the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).

In November 2024, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced the government will invest ¥10 trillion ($65 billion) or more by 2030 to revitalize its semiconductor industry, according to CNBC. Major investments already have gone into the Rapidus consortium — ¥70 billion in November 2022; ¥260 billion in April 2023; and up to 590 billion yen in April 2024. NEDO approved Rapidus’ 024 budget in April.

Another key recipient is the TSMC-led Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing (JASM), which received nearly $8 billion in government funding to build two foundries.

In 2022, METI launched an R&D organization for next-generation semiconductors, named the Leading-edge Semiconductor Technology Center, but no funding was announced. In 2024, METI invested up to 72.5 billion yen into five projects for improving computational resources necessary for developing AI.

In addition, the Japanese Investment Corp. is a government-backed fund that supports next-gen technology, including semiconductors. The fund offered to buy materials company JSR in March 2024.

Taiwan and Japan collaborate through the JASM venture and also the SEMI-backed International Taiwan-Japan Semiconductor Technology Symposium.

South Korea government funding
In South Korea, government funding is made via its Ministry of Economy and Finance (MoEF), which announced a 26 trillion won support package for the chip industry in May 2024 and further support in October 24.

Much of the government’s focus is on a Semiconductor Cluster in Yongin, first announced in March 2019, then boosted in January 2024 with a total reported investment of 622 trillion won (US$472 billion) with Samsung and SK hynix. Yongin currently houses 21 fabs and the plan is for 16 more fabs by 2047, including three for research. In October 2024, Lam Research became the first global company to locate in the government’s Yongin semiconductor mega-cluster when it opened its new campus.

In addition to funding, MoEF supports the industry through high-tech subsidies and regulatory exemptions to expedite construction. It also launched its Top Tier project to set up a collaboration system with leading foreign research institutions with an investment of 10 billion won.

Historically, there has been animosity between Japan and South Korea, but in the face of a China/North Korea/Russia axis, Japan and South Korea are putting aside their differences, at least in the semiconductor world. For example, the chairman and CEO of SK Group told Nikkei Asia in May 2024 it aims to strengthen cooperation with Japanese chip equipment makers and would consider investing there. And the Japanese city of Yokohama announced in December 2023 that South Korea’s Samsung will invest around 40 billion yen (~$280 million) over five years in a facility for research into advanced chip packaging, per Reuters.

The EU’s Chips Joint Undertaking launched a semiconductor collaboration with South Korea in July 2024.

Chinese government funding
The Chinese government invests via its National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, created in 2014. Known as the Big Fund, it has three planned phases to address different aspects of the semiconductor industry. In May 2024, it raised about $48 billion for Big Fund III with 19 equity investors, led by the Ministry of Finance and state-owned banks. The Chinese American Semiconductor Professional Association (CASPA) is a neutral bridge between the countries.

Trendforce provided an Overview of China’s Semiconductor Industry Project Progress in 2024. A 2023 article from the South China Morning Post reported that the Chinese government awarded more than 12.1 billion yuan (US$1.75 billion) in subsidies to 190 domestic semiconductor companies in 2022, with the 10 biggest recipients getting 45%. SMIC was said to get the largest subsidy at 1.95 billion yuan, followed by Sanan Optoelectronics with 1.03 billion yuan. Other recipients were the chip packaging company Tianshui Huatian Technology, in Shaanxi; an Apple supplier, Wingtech Technology; Naura Technology, a chip equipment maker based in Beijing and supplier of Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC), which is U.S.-sanctioned; and Loongson Technology, a CPU designer.

A 2023 report from the Financial Times said that SMIC and Huawei, plus equipment suppliers Naura and Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment, will benefit from a policy shift offering access to additional government funding without having to achieve performance goals that were previously required.

The Chinese government also subsidizes TSMC Nanjing. In its March 2024 financial report, TSMC said its subsidiaries, such as JASM and TSMC Nanjing, received subsidies from the governments of Japan and China. For the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the company received a total of NT$183,484 thousand and NT$1,768,032 thousand, respectively, in the form of government grants.

And in its 2023 annual report TSMC said, “Subsidiaries such as JASM and TSMC Nanjing received subsidies from the governments of Japan and China, respectively, for local plants setup and operation … For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, TSMC received a total of NT$47,545,898 thousand and NT$7,051,432 thousand as government grants respectively.” Trendforce noted that this was a 5.74-fold increase from the previous year, reaching a record high.

The U.S. Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) published a deep dive on China’s strategy in the so-called chip wars. The Wall St. Journal also published an evaluation of China’s chipmaking progress.

Indian government funding

The Indian government’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) formed the Semicon India Program (Program for Development of Semiconductors and Display Manufacturing Ecosystem in India) and the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) within its Digital India Corporation in 2021, with an initial budget of INR 76,000 crore (~$10 billion).

There are several schemes in place:

• Setting up of Semiconductor Fabs in India offers up to 50% of project cost on an equal basis to approved applicants. Similar terms are on offer for Display Fabs.
• Setting up Compound Semiconductors/Silicon Photonics/Sensors (including MEMS) Fabs/Discrete Semiconductors Fab, and Semiconductor ATMP/OSAT facilities in India extends support of 50% of capital expenditure.
• The Design Linked Incentive (DLI) offers financial incentives and design infrastructure support across development and deployment of semiconductor design(s) for Integrated Circuits, Chipsets, System on Chips, Systems & IP Cores, and semiconductor linked design(s) over a period of 5 years.

In September 2024, U.S. President Biden and India Prime Minister Modi partnered on plans to build a fab, and the U.S. Department of State partnered with the India Semiconductor Mission, Ministry of Electronics and IT, and Government of India to grow and diversify the global semiconductor ecosystem under the International Technology Security and Innovation (ITSI) Fund, created by the CHIPS Act.

For workforce development, key agencies and programs include the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) committee; the Chips to Startup (C2S) Program; and the ChipIN Center for students to access design infrastructure.

Like the U.S., individual Indian states also are running incentive programs. For example, Uttar Pradesh state’s policy provides for an additional capital subsidy of 50% on the capital subsidy approved under the India Semiconductor Mission. And the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission supports Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) through a range of initiatives.

There is a potential total of $21 billion in proposals currently in progress in India, according to Bloomberg. India Briefing provides ongoing updates of investments. Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) did a deep dive into India’s future role in the global supply chain.

Southeast Asia government funding
Many countries in Southeast Asia have chip ambitions. For example, the Philippines aims to train 128,000 engineers and technicians for semiconductors and electronics by 2028. The U.S. partnered with Indonesia to explore semiconductor supply chain opportunities. And Thailand is set to build its first SiC fab.

However, most activity in this region is concentrated in Malaysia, Vietnam, and Singapore, as shown below:

In Malaysia in 2023, the Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI) launched its New Industrial Master Plan (NIMP), proposing to allocate RM8.2 billion for implementation from 2024 until 2030, according to the Malaysian Investment Devlopment Authority. In May 2024, the government launched its National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS), aiming to draw RM500 billion (~$100B) of investment in integrated circuit (IC) design, advanced packaging, and manufacturing equipment for semiconductor chips, with an outlay of RM25 billion ($5 billion). MIDA is the government’s main investment promotion and development agency under MITI. There are also state initiatives, such as InvestPenang.

In Vietnam, the prime minister recently said the country would simplify procedures for semiconductor investments. In September 2024 it issued the strategy for development of Vietnam’s semiconductor industry by 2030, with a vision toward 2050. In April, the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) detailed its semiconductor industry human resource development by 2030 project, with a vision extending out to 2045. It has a total required budget of about 26,000 billion VND, of which the state budget will contribute about 17,000 billion VND and socialized sources about 9,000 billion VND. By 2030 the program aims to train 50,000 engineers for the semiconductor industry across all stages of the value chain, and to build at least four national-level shared semiconductor centers with equipment at universities and the Vietnam National Innovation Center (NIC). NIC will enhance cooperation with partners such as local universities, Arizona State University, and companies such as Samsung, Cadence, Synopsys, and Siemens. Tax incentives also were promised. SEMIEXPO Vietnam was held in November, 2024 at NIC with many companies participating.

In Singapore in 2021, the government’s Economic Development Board (EDB) laid out its plan to grow its manufacturing sector by 50% by 2030, stating that more than one in 10 of the world’s semiconductor chips are produced by factories in the country. In 2022, Singapore invested an initial US$85 million to set up the National Gallium Nitride Technology Centre over five years and announced five manufacturing-sector industry transformation maps (ITMs) in areas such as electronics and precision engineering. Also in 2022, the Ministry of Trade and Industry launched the Manufacturing 2030 (M2030) Careers Initiative to help manufacturing companies develop attractive career options for Singapore residents. The National University of Singapore (NUS) offers a Master of Science in Semiconductor Technology and Operations (MSc (STO)) program. The state aims to be the smartest city in the world, via an initiative launched in 2014, and key innovations happen at its Jurong Innovation District (JID), a living lab and advanced manufacturing hub.

A 2024 Ernst & Young report stated that more than 140 countries have committed to implementing a 15% global minimum tax rate for large multinational enterprises between now and 2025, with Singapore among them. To offset this, Singapore introduced a Refundable Investment Credit (RIC), offering up to 50% support on each qualifying expenditure category for up to 10 years. For advanced manufacturing, the RIC scheme seeks to encourage R&D and innovation projects. Supplementing the RIC scheme was an additional $3 billion investment into Singapore’s Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2025 initiative.

A 2024 TrendForce report noted that, “given nine out of the top ten packaging and testing companies are located in the Asia-Pacific region, the strategic positioning in Asia is particularly notable, with Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore all striving to make their mark.”

Table of select government programs announced in 2024 or late 2023 (including some of which appeared in the Global table):

Table of select recipients of government funding announced in 2024: