Japan's semiconductor industry is facing a growing labor shortage as demand for data centers expands alongside the AI boom. This article examines concrete examples of how people with no prior experience can enter and contribute to the field, as well as the initiatives being pursued by UTエイム to develop their capabilities.
Semiconductor demand is surging, particularly for data centers, against the backdrop of generative AI adoption. In Japan, major investments are following one another, including TSMC's expansion into Kumamoto and Rapidus's factory construction. However, labor shortages are becoming a barrier to growth even as companies move ahead with capital investment. Jun Koizumi of UTエイム, a subsidiary of UTグループ that provides staffing and contract services for semiconductor manufacturing processes, says labor shortages are becoming a bottleneck even before capital investment.
The factors behind the growth in semiconductor demand include the revitalization of Kyushu following TSMC's expansion into Kumamoto, Rapidus's investment in 2nm development, and the spread of generative AI through OpenAI. The adoption of AI has driven a sharp increase in demand for data centers used for training, resulting in continued periods of tight semiconductor supply and demand. Koizumi explains that supply is failing to keep pace, particularly for highly integrated memory products.
In the semiconductor industry, people with no prior experience can enter the field as operators and broaden their careers through on-site experience into roles such as equipment maintenance, production engineering and production control, and FE. UTエイム has established the E-Pro system to recognize on-site experience, clarify the value of employees' accumulated experience, and show them a path to the next grade.
A contract team in the semiconductor testing field provides a concrete example of a career path that supports the development of inexperienced workers. The company currently supports approximately 6,000 people working at semiconductor sites and encourages job changes into areas such as test program development. The testing field is highly regarded for the flexibility afforded by its small teams and is also contributing to future workforce allocation.