Fujitsu to Re-enter Global Market with AI Semiconductors...Exports 2nm CPU

Development by Fujitsu, Manufacturing by TSMC
Supply Confirmed for Super Micro Computer in the US

Japan’s information and electronics company Fujitsu is set to begin overseas sales of its advanced artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor, developed in-house using its supercomputer technology.

According to a report by Nikkei on September 13, Fujitsu plans to sell its AI-focused central processing unit (CPU), which was developed using the technology applied in its supercomputer ‘Fugaku,’ not only in Japan but also in the United States and the Asia-Pacific region starting in 2027 and beyond.

The product that Fujitsu is exporting is ‘Monaka,’ a 2-nanometer (nm; 1 nm = one-billionth of a meter) process-based AI CPU. Monaka is designed for large-scale computations such as AI inference, and is distinguished by significantly improved performance-per-watt.

Fujitsu is responsible for semiconductor design and development, while manufacturing is handled by Taiwan’s TSMC, the world’s largest semiconductor foundry.

Fujitsu has already secured its first overseas customer. The company has agreed to supply Monaka to Super Micro Computer, a US server firm, and plans to expand its client base to major US cloud service providers in the future.

This marks the first time that Fujitsu will actively market its advanced, in-house developed AI semiconductors to international markets. Previously, Fujitsu’s AI chips were primarily used in its own products.

Alongside CPUs, Fujitsu will also sell AI servers equipped with these chips. Currently, 24 companies, including those in the financial and telecommunications sectors, are conducting performance verification with prototype units, and Fujitsu is reportedly discussing implementations with more than 40 companies.

Development of next-generation products is also underway. Fujitsu is expected to develop an AI semiconductor utilizing a 1.4-nanometer process, with production handled by the Japanese foundry company Rapidus.

Fujitsu aims to foster its AI semiconductor business as a new growth engine. Through external CPU sales, the company has set a goal to achieve cumulative revenue of 250 billion yen (approximately 219 billion KRW) by the fiscal year 2030. The plan also involves selling 60,000 AI servers and supplying platforms that support AI development and operation, thereby expanding related business.

Japanese firms achieved strong competitiveness in the global semiconductor market by developing and manufacturing CPUs themselves in the 1980s and 1990s, but later shrank or exited most related businesses due to increased competition from South Korean, American, and Taiwanese companies. Today, US companies, led by Intel, dominate the server and PC CPU markets.

Fujitsu also withdrew from in-house semiconductor manufacturing in the 2010s, focusing instead on design and development. However, with recent increases in global investment in AI and rising demand for high-performance, low-power computing semiconductors, Fujitsu is now leveraging its supercomputer expertise to re-enter the global semiconductor market.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.