logo
Japan's Industrial Heartland Warming Up to Winds of Change

Japan's Industrial Heartland Warming Up to Winds of Change

Bloomberg08-05-2025

Signs are emerging that Japan's much-touted corporate reforms are reaching the industrial heartland of Nagoya, after sweeping through Tokyo and helping lift share prices.
Nagoya, a bustling city some 340 kilometers (211.27 miles) west of Tokyo, and the area around it are home to manufacturing giants including Toyota Motor Corp., the world's biggest automaker and Toyota group auto parts maker Denso Corp. Aichi prefecture, where Nagoya is located, is the country's biggest manufacturing hub and home to the largest producer of cars, electronic machines to ceramics among others.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Taiwan Semiconductor, University Of Tokyo Launch Joint Lab For Advanced Research And Education
Taiwan Semiconductor, University Of Tokyo Launch Joint Lab For Advanced Research And Education

Yahoo

time19 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Taiwan Semiconductor, University Of Tokyo Launch Joint Lab For Advanced Research And Education

The University of Tokyo (UTokyo) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (NYSE:TSM) announced on Thursday that they have launched a joint research laboratory dedicated to advancing semiconductor research, education, and talent incubation. Taiwan Semiconductor and UTokyo aim to promote advanced research and development in semiconductor technologies, generate innovative solutions, and cultivate semiconductor talent to create and advance sustainable semiconductor technologies. Since 2019, UTokyo and Taiwan Semiconductor have collaborated on advanced semiconductor research at the university and company Semiconductor and UTokyo have extended their industry-academia partnership to include semiconductor education and next-generation talent incubation. In 2023, UTokyo adopted Taiwan Semiconductor's 16nm FinFET process technology for chip design training. Located on UTokyo's Asano campus in the Hongo district, the Lab will be managed by UTokyo faculty and staff and guided by directors from both UTokyo and Taiwan Semiconductor. It will serve as a central hub for a Strategic Collaboration initiative. The Lab will facilitate research in semiconductor technologies, with an emphasis on practical applications in the future. It will cover areas such as materials, devices, processes, metrology, packaging, and circuit design. Additionally, the Lab will explore collaboration through activities such as Taiwan Semiconductor-sponsored project calls and internship opportunities. Taiwan Semiconductor, along with its Japan Design Center, Japan 3DIC R&D Center, and Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing (JASM) specialty fab, will leverage the Lab to further its next-generation talent development. Taiwan Semiconductor gained 24% in the last 12 months due to the AI frenzy prompting it to expand beyond Taiwan. However, the Trump administration's tariff policies have hurt semiconductor companies. However, last week, Taiwan Semiconductor CEO C.C. Wei blamed traffic jams for hampering the progress of its Tokyo signature chipmaking project. He also highlighted to President Donald Trump the difficulties in completing the Arizona project in five years due to the skilled labor crisis. Taiwan Semiconductor's plan to build a second factory in Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture remains vulnerable to the sudden influx of workers from the contract chipmaker's first plant, which is damaging the rural infrastructure. Interestingly, the chipmaker's prioritization of the U.S. expansion reduced the urgency of production in Japan. Reportedly, Taiwan, Japan, and the U.S. are establishing closer trilateral cooperation in the semiconductor industry, forming a 'semiconductor iron triangle.' Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura expects collaboration in advanced chips to help develop 5G, self-driving vehicles, and generative artificial intelligence. Price Action: TSM stock is trading lower by 0.83% to $212.33 premarket at last check Thursday. Read Next:Photo by Jack Hong via Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR (TSM): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Taiwan Semiconductor, University Of Tokyo Launch Joint Lab For Advanced Research And Education originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Sign in to access your portfolio

Charging Electric Cars, a Bane of Their Owners, May Be Improving
Charging Electric Cars, a Bane of Their Owners, May Be Improving

New York Times

timean hour ago

  • New York Times

Charging Electric Cars, a Bane of Their Owners, May Be Improving

Since Tesla installed its first Superchargers in 2012 for the exclusive use of its customers, owners of other electric cars have often felt like second-class citizens. They have wandered in search of electric oases in desolate parking lots, often making desperate calls to help centers after becoming stymied by balky or broken chargers. It's no surprise, then, that consumers rank problems with public electric vehicle charging and the time it takes to fuel up as their top two reasons for rejecting electric vehicles, according to J.D. Power. But help may finally be at hand. Automakers and charging companies are building new stations and updating their cars to allow drivers to more easily and quickly recharge their vehicles. They are also outfitting charging stations with more amenities like food and bathrooms while making the devices more reliable. And because chargers are only as fast as the cars they connect with, automakers are designing new cars to absorb electricity at Usain Bolt-level speeds. In addition, many automakers have cut deals with Tesla allowing owners of other cars access to the company's fast-charging network, the largest in the country and widely considered the most reliable. There is early evidence that efforts to improve electric vehicle charging are paying off. In recent years, J.D. Power surveys showed that about 20 percent of attempts to charge electric vehicles at all public stations ended in failure because of faulty chargers, long lines or payment glitches. But in the first three months of 2025, overall failure rates fell to 16 percent, the biggest improvement since the surveys began in 2021. 'The industry is finally elevating as a whole,' said Brent Gruber, an executive director at J.D. Power. The number of chargers has also increased. There were about 55,200 fast chargers in the United States in May, up from 42,200 a year earlier, according to federal data. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

Economy shrinks by more than expected amid record fall in exports to the US
Economy shrinks by more than expected amid record fall in exports to the US

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Economy shrinks by more than expected amid record fall in exports to the US

The economy saw the biggest monthly contraction for a year-and-a-half in April as manufacturing activity pulled back sharply amid a record drop in exports to the US following President Donald Trump's tariff hikes. Official figures showed gross domestic product (GDP) fell by 0.3% in April, compared with growth of 0.2% the previous month, and marking the biggest contraction since October 2023. It was also worse than the 0.1% contraction expected by most economists. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said output in Britain's manufacturing sector dropped by 0.6% in April, having surged earlier in the year as US importers stocked up ahead of Mr Trump's tariff rises, which came into effect at the start of April. Exports to America fell at the fastest pace on record, down £2 billion in April – led by machinery and transport, including cars, according to separate trade figures from the ONS on Thursday. ONS director of economic statistics Liz McKeown said: 'After increasing for each of the four preceding months, April saw the largest monthly fall on record in goods exports to the US with decreases seen across most types of goods, following the recent introduction of tariffs.' The wider economy also shrank as the all-important services sector saw activity fall by by 0.4% in April. The ONS said this was largely pulled lower by a drop off in demand in the housing market following the rush to complete property deals ahead of the stamp duty change from April 1. Chancellor Rachel Reeves acknowledged that the latest GDP figures were 'clearly disappointing', but insisted her spending review would help deliver growth. GDP fell 0.3% in April 2025. Services (-0.4%) and production (-0.6%) both shrank but construction (+0.9) grew. Read more ➡ — Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) June 12, 2025 She said: 'Our number one mission is delivering growth to put more money in people's pockets through our plan for change, and while these numbers are clearly disappointing, I'm determined to deliver on that mission.' The fall in GDP also comes after soaring wage cost pressures from April, with the increase in national insurance contributions (NICs) and the minimum wage both taking effect at the start of the month, which has hit the service sector particularly hard. Ms McKeown said declining output in services and manufacturing sectors both dragged on overall GDP in April. 'However, over the last three months as a whole GDP still grew, with signs that some activity may have been brought forward from April to earlier in the year,' she said. She added: 'Both legal and real estate firms fared badly in April, following a sharp increase in house sales in March when buyers rushed to complete purchases ahead of changes to stamp duty. 'Car manufacturing also performed poorly after growing in the first quarter of the year.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store