Semiconductors, which are indispensable to our daily lives and industries, have become crucial in determining the performance of many products. With the evolution of AI, their importance continues to grow. There are predictions that the market size will reach approximately 150 trillion yen by 2030, about twice the size compared to 2020. In Japan, efforts are accelerating across both government and private sectors, including expanded investments by global companies like TSMC and the launch of Rapidus advanced semiconductor factory.

Meanwhile, talent shortage has become a serious global problem. Particularly in Japan, the talent of semiconductor has been declining over the past 20 years while job openings have rapidly increased, creating a significant problem for sustainable growth. The semiconductor industry has closely relationship with many companies across the value chain including design, manufacturing (front-end and back-end processes), materials, manufacturing and inspection equipment, and design support—and all of these areas face talent shortages.

Looking from the output side of the value chain, various semiconductor devices such as logic semiconductor, memory, power semiconductors, sensors, analog semiconductors, and lasers/LEDs play important roles in modern society. Each of these devices requires different design methods and materials/manufacturing technologies, making the knowledge and skills demanded of the talent of semiconductor increasingly advanced and specialized. At the same time, there is a need for professionals who can create new value by understanding the flow of the entire value chain while being aware of the overlaps between these technologies.

To address these needs, we have established the "Tohoku University Semiconductor Creativity Hub (S-Hub)" to promote semiconductor education across the entire university, which was previously one of the functions of the Technology Co-creation for Semiconductor of Tohoku University. The educational occasion offerings are not limited to students within the university but are widely open to students from other institutions and working professionals from industry.