TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) said Thursday (Oct. 14) that construction work on its new factory in Japan would start in 2022, with the production of chips to launch in 2024.

Previous media reports said the project was planned for the city of Kumamoto in south Japan, with Sony involved in the deal and the Japanese government offering subsidies for up to half of the expected investment of NT$200 billion (US$7.12 billion).

The facility will focus on the manufacturing of semiconductors in a range from 22 nanometers to 28 nm, CNA reported. TSMC, the world’s larger contract chipmaker and a major supplier to Apple, has promised to help resolve the global shortage of semiconductors for the car industry.

Earlier this year, TSMC also announced plans for a research center focusing on three-dimensional integrated circuits in Japan’s Ibaraki Prefecture. The project would be completed by the end of 2021 in the city of Tsukuba.