Japan's JIC sees M&A options in chipmaking niches after $6.4 billion JSR buyout

JIC Capital's logo is pictured at its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, June 26, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

TOKYO (Reuters) - State-backed Japan Investment Corp (JIC) sees potential for more mergers and acquisitions in high-end corners of the chipmaking industry following its planned $6.4 billion buyout of materials maker JSR, the head of its private equity arm said.

The comments from JIC Capital CEO Shogo Ikeuchi signal a potential shakeup of an industry critical to everything from smartphones to artificial intelligence that is a lynchpin of economic security in the world's third-largest economy.