Institutional Thickness in Regional Innovation Ecosystem: A Case Study of the Kyushu Semiconductor Industry

Abstract

Japan’s industrial cluster policies have reinforced Kyushu’s semiconductor industry by attempting to gain a competitive advantage in system large-scale integration (LSI) and advanced three-dimensional semiconductor packaging. In this chapter, we discuss two promotional semiconductor-related industry projects that were established by a regional think-tank called the Kyushu Economic Research Center. The first project is an international workshop on semiconductor assembly and packaging technologies for building global networks. The workshop has become an important event for both domestic and foreign firms and has strengthened existing networks. However, the lack of a coordinator has hindered the establishment and maintenance of inter-organizational relationships. The second project is support for business-matching for semiconductor-related firms, which helped build mutual trust between firms with low mutual recognition and established new business relationships with firms outside Kyushu.