SBI Holdings refuted a Nikkan Kogyo newspaper report suggesting ongoing negotiations with South Korea's SK Hynix and Taiwan's UMC for a collaborative chips plant in Miyagi prefecture. A spokesperson for the financial firm dismissed the report as untrue on Friday.
According to the Nikkan Kogyo report, SBI intends to engage in collaborations with SK Hynix on back-end DRAM processes and with UMC on vehicle chips, without citing sources.
In September, SBI announced the dissolution of a joint venture with Taiwan's Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. The companies had been pursuing government subsidies to establish a foundry in northern Japan. At that time, SBI mentioned its openness to exploring partnerships with other companies in chip-related ventures.