Bio:

TETSURO HIGASHI is the first Chairman of the Board of Directors at Rapidus Corporation, a company that researches, develops, designs, manufactures, and sells advanced logic semiconductors, in August 2022.
Prior to this role, Higashi had held a series of executive roles at Tokyo Electron Limited from 1990 until 2019 when he resigned from his position at the company. After his experience as Vice President at the company’s Motorola Sales Department and the Diffusion Systems Department, and General Manager at the SPE 2 Division, he had joined the executive board as Corporate Director in 1990. Following that, he was appointed to President and CEO of the company starting from 1996 when he was 46 years old. He had become Chairman of the Board in 2003 and reappointed as President and CEO in a dual role in 2013. In 2016, he had was appointed Corporate Advisor and resigned from his position at the company in 2019.
Mr. Higashi holds senior positions at several organizations related to semiconductor and technology including Directors Emeritus of SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International) since 2012, Advisor of SEAJ (Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan) since 2016, and Chairperson of the Executive Board of TIA since 2017. In addition, he was appointed to Chairman of Leading-edge Semiconductor Technology Center (LSTC), an organization that conducts next-generation semiconductor research, in 2023.
Mr. Higashi was born on August 28, 1949, in Tokyo, Japan and received a B.A. (1973) in Social Science from International Christian University and a M.A. (1977) in Social Science from Tokyo Metropolitan University.

Abstract:

At first, talk about the historical change in the world of regional semiconductor market share and its meaning, and then raise the issue why leading-edge semiconductor technology becomes so critical and vital for national security and economy. Lastly overview the role and mission of “Rapidus” and “LSTC” which represent the Leading-edge Semiconductor Technology Center in Japan.