Japan is said to have suffered a complete defeat to ASML in developing EUV, the leading-edge technology in semiconductors. The background is said to include delays in technological development, erosion of persistence, and the trap of self-reliance.
Japanese companies once dominated the semiconductor lithography equipment market, but fell far behind ASML in the development and commercialization of EUV. Delays in the technological development itself have been identified as a factor behind the defeat. While ASML was the first in the world to put EUV lithography equipment into practical use and establish it at a level suitable for use on mass-production lines, Japan was unable to reach the stage of bringing the technology into mass production.
Two factors are cited as reasons for the defeat. The first is the “erosion of persistence” among Japanese companies, which may have left them unable to demonstrate the tenacity required during the long development process of crossing the valley of death, as pressure to withdraw mounted. The second is the “trap of self-reliance,” which is said to have hindered internal coordination and collaboration with external parties, weakening the systems needed to bring the technology to market.