(Bloomberg) -- JSR Corp., the leading supplier of photoresists used to make semiconductors, sees the arrival of DeepSeek’s low-cost artificial intelligence model as a boon to the industry.
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The Chinese startup and its representation of cheaper AI will lead to a burst of demand for semiconductors over the long-term, according to Kenichi Emoto, executive officer at JSR.
The Japanese company supplies photoresists for ASML Holding NV’s extreme ultraviolet light lithography machines, now deemed essential for making the most advanced chips, but its materials are used in other parts of the semiconductor supply chain. Its customers include Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Intel Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co., as well as ASML, according to Bloomberg data.
Any development that pushes AI technology forward is a positive, Emoto said in an interview. Even if DeepSeek rewrites the industry map, “it won’t mean a big change for us,” he said. “The emergence of new AI technologies is a positive direction.”
JSR, which delisted last year following a takeover by government-backed Japan Investment Corp., has been leading a push in Japan for consolidation in the country’s materials makers. Those businesses comprise key portions of the semiconductor supply chain, from silicon wafers to industrial gases to sealants and slurry.
Domestic players need to work together as investment costs climb instead of fighting one another, Emoto reiterated. Talks have not moved forward, but JSR hopes the push will bear fruit in the coming years, he said.
“We want to build one strong materials manufacturer and increase Japan’s industrial competitiveness,” he said.
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