Mukesh Khare, the General Manager of IBM's Semiconductor division, has announced IBM's full commitment to supporting Rapidus in its mission to achieve mass production of 2nm process chips by 2027. IBM aims to forge a long-term partnership with Rapidus, jointly exploring the frontiers of semiconductor technology. To expedite the 2nm project, IBM has already deployed a team of approximately 10 engineers to Rapidus' IIM fab facility in Chitose, Hokkaido. Rapidus, a consortium founded in 2022 by eight Japanese industry giants including Toyota and Sony, aims to spearhead the R&D and mass production of 2nm and beyond process chips. Prior to this, Rapidus had entered into a technological collaboration agreement with IBM, leveraging IBM's 2nm process technology, and received financial backing from the Japanese government. Rapidus anticipates initiating factory equipment testing in 2024, followed by trial production of 2nm chips in 2025, and ultimately achieving mass production by 2027.