Taiwan's PSMC says chip engineer shortage top challenge in Japan

TOKYO -- A shortage of engineers is the "most difficult" challenge facing Taiwan's Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. (PSMC) as it prepares to build a plant in Japan, with a recent wave of global chipmakers investing in the country expected to exacerbate the battle for talent.

PSMC, Taiwan's third-largest contract chip manufacturer and the sixth biggest in the world, plans to invest 800 billion yen ($5.3 billion) to build a plant in Japan through a joint venture with financial group SBI Holdings. The first phase of production is slated to start in 2027.