Toppan, a Japanese printing technologies giant, is establishing a factory in Singapore to manufacture high-end semiconductor substrates. The facility, managed by its Singapore-based subsidiary, Advanced Substrate Technologies (AST), will be the first of its kind in the country and is expected to start production by the end of 2026.

This investment is one of Japan’s largest in the semiconductor supply chain in the past decade, according to Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) executive vice president Pee Beng Kong. The factory will enhance Singapore’s semiconductor ecosystem, supporting key growth areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced data centers.

The facility will manufacture flip chip ball grid array (FC-BGA) substrates, crucial for high-end semiconductor applications like AI chips and network switches. It will also serve as Toppan’s first FC-BGA production facility outside Japan. Besides production, the plant will engage in research and development (R&D) for advanced substrate technologies, occupying 95,000 square meters and employing over 200 engineers, technicians, and operators.

Supported by JTC and EDB, the factory’s strategic importance is also tied to Broadcom, Toppan’s largest client, which develops semiconductor and AI/ML solutions. The new facility will play a key role in differentiating Broadcom’s next-generation products, according to Broadcom’s president, Charlie Kawwas.