Japanese chipmaker Rapidus has announced plans to establish a Collaborative Open Rapid Ecosystem (CORE) to support the development and production of advanced semiconductors.

Described by the company as a “global ecosystem framework,” Rapidus said the aim of CORE is to provide customers with a “development and production infrastructure they can rely on.”

As part of the framework’s first phase, Rapidus is forming a Design Solution Associates initiative to serve as a bridge between the chipmaker and its customers, providing resources and expertise to support semiconductor development. The company said this will enable it to strengthen its support system in everything from design to manufacturing, and allow Rapidus to meet customer demand both in Japan and across the rest of the globe.

The Design Solutions Associates currently consists of 17 companies, including Cadence, Infosys, Synopsys, Toshiba Information Systems, and Wipro.

In future phases, Rapidus will expand its CORE offering to include electronic design automation and intellectual property, and more to strengthen partnerships with companies in these respective categories.

Rapidus was founded in November 2022 by the Japanese government and industry partners, including SoftBank, Sony, and NTT, with the aim of boosting domestic chip production. At the time, it was said the company would develop sub-2nm chips using technology licensed from IBM.

In 2025, the company started testing its first production line in Hokkaido, Japan, and is expected to start manufacturing 2nm chips in 2027.