Mitsui Fudosan and Kumamoto Prefecture Establish KSCM to Build Semiconductor Ecosystem, Set Up Physical AI and Semiconductor Foundation Center

Mitsui Fudosan and Kumamoto Prefecture jointly established the general incorporated association Kumamoto Science Park Community & Management (KSCM) on July 27, 2026. Based in Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture, KSCM will operate an industry-academia-government collaboration community for the semiconductor industry and provide support services for companies entering the region. The association will also house a Physical AI and Semiconductor Foundation Center to support semiconductor-related development projects for the physical AI industry. At its establishment, KSCM signed cooperation agreements with seven organizations: Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and Hsinchu Science Park Bureau, and Japan's Kyushu Economic Federation, Kyushu Economic Research Association, Kyushu Semiconductor and Digital Innovation Council (SIIQ), Kumamoto Semiconductor Green Innovation Council (KSGI) and RISE-A.

KSCM's establishment is an effort to develop Kumamoto, which has drawn attention following TSMC's entry, from a semiconductor manufacturing base into a hub for research, development and industry creation in the physical AI era. Cooperation among seven Japan-Taiwan organizations points to the formation of a new industry ecosystem linking semiconductor supply chains with AI robotics research, with potential to significantly affect the industrial structure of the Kyushu region.

The announcement is positioned as the launch of a core organization for building a community, based on a basic agreement signed in April 2026 by Mitsui Fudosan, Kumamoto Prefecture and Koshi City to promote the Kumamoto Science Park project. KSCM is distinguished by its aim to build a semiconductor industry ecosystem through the integrated operation of a platform and community for industry-academia-government collaboration, rather than simply supporting companies entering the region. Notably, KSCM will house a Physical AI and Semiconductor Foundation Center to support semiconductor-related development projects for the physical AI industry. This can be read as an effort to link the semiconductor manufacturing base taking shape with TSMC's entry to the development of AI that operates in the real world, including robotics and autonomous driving. As this newspaper has reported, ITRI opened its AI Robotics Innovation and Development Center (ARIDC) in Tainan in May 2026, and is advancing the development and testing of AI robots in four fields: health care, logistics, food service and disaster response. The cooperation with KSCM is an effort to connect ITRI's expertise in robotics applications with the semiconductor supply chain in Kumamoto and Kyushu, and represents a concrete step toward ecosystem cooperation between Japan and Taiwan. The participating organizations include a research institute (ITRI) and an administrative body (Hsinchu Science Park Bureau) from Taiwan, as well as Kyushu business groups (the Kyushu Economic Federation and Kyushu Economic Research Association), semiconductor-related councils (SIIQ and KSGI) and RISE-A, established by Mitsui Fudosan, from Japan. This structure covers everything from research and development to corporate recruitment, workforce development and business matchmaking, reflecting Mitsui Fudosan's strategy as an “industry developer” that goes beyond real estate development. However, details of KSCM's specific services and membership system are scheduled to be announced in fall 2026, and many points remain unclear for now. The specific research themes and budget for the Physical AI and Semiconductor Foundation Center, as well as PASTEC's role, have also not been disclosed. A key focus will be whether future announcements provide more details.

KSCM's co-representative directors are Nobuyoshi Takeuchi, vice governor of Kumamoto Prefecture, and Kyosuke Hosoda, executive officer at Mitsui Fudosan. Its directors include Kan Suzuki, a University of Tokyo professor and specially appointed professor at Keio University; Kazuya Nakashima, director general of the Industrial Promotion Bureau in Kumamoto Prefecture's Department of Commerce and Industry; and Hisashi Sunaga, general manager of the Industrial Solutions Development Department in Mitsui Fudosan's Solutions Partner Division. KSCM has three main roles. (1) Community operations: using networks with domestic and overseas partner organizations to provide a place for companies, universities, research institutes and government bodies to interact. (2) Support for companies entering the Innovation Creation Area: providing one-stop services for administrative procedures and support for recruitment and workforce development. (3) R&D project support through PASTEC: supporting research and development in fields that form the foundation of the physical AI and semiconductor supply chains taking shape in Kumamoto and Kyushu. Membership applications are scheduled to open in fall 2026, when details of the services will also be announced.

KSCM's establishment is intended to promote collaboration between Japan's semiconductor and physical AI industries and strengthen industrial clustering in the Kyushu region. In particular, cooperation with Taiwan's ITRI and Hsinchu Science Park Bureau could give Japanese research institutes and companies a point of access to Taiwan's semiconductor ecosystem and AI robotics technologies. However, no specific projects or outcomes have been announced, and developments warrant attention.