Air Liquide is making a major push into the heart of the global semiconductor supply chain.
The company has announced a €200 million investment to build and operate two advanced industrial gas production units in Hiroshima, Japan, under a long-term agreement with a global chipmaker.
The facilities, set to come online by the end of 2028, will supply ultra-pure nitrogen, oxygen, and argon—critical inputs for manufacturing next-generation semiconductors powering artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies. These high-purity gases are essential to maintaining the extreme cleanliness and precision required in chip fabrication.
By expanding its footprint in Japan, the company is strengthening its role in a sector that sits at the center of global tech competition. The move also reinforces Japan’s position as a key hub in the rapidly scaling semiconductor industry.
Air Liquide has been embedded in Japan’s electronics ecosystem for more than 40 years, operating 78 facilities dedicated to electronics activities, including an Advanced Materials Center in Tsukuba. Its Innovation Campus Tokyo, launched in 2019, continues to focus on identifying new molecules and materials for next-generation chip manufacturing.
The company says the investment deepens its strategic role across Asia’s semiconductor supply chain, supporting manufacturers as they ramp up capacity to meet surging global demand driven by AI.
Ronnie Chalmers, Air Liquide Group Vice President, in charge of supervising operations in Asia-Pacific, stated: "This new facility highlights Air Liquide’s ability to keep pace with our semiconductor customers’ rapid expansion and new investments to develop the next-generation chips which fuel technologies like AI."
"Japan has been a powerhouse in the semiconductor industry since the 1980s and remains a global technology leader today. Across the country, our experts deliver the high-tech solutions essential to meet the most rigorous standards of our customers in terms of quality, safety and reliability.”
