Japan’s major banks and regional financial institutions are accelerating their "semiconductor shift" to boost lending to industries that might benefit from the emergence of new chipmaking factories in the country.
On expectations of a growth in demand for funds from these related industries as artificial intelligence continues its ascent, the banks have created special teams and are even collaborating with regional rivals to get themselves ready. They are also encouraging small and midsize enterprises to jump on the bandwagon by expressing their intention to support their capital investments.
In April, MUFG Bank established a "semiconductor value chain promotion office" — its first department specializing in a single industry. The bank selected officials familiar with the chip industry for the team who will, together with other branch staffers, respond to the specific needs of clients.
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