SoftBank Plans to Acquire Part of Sharp Plant in Osaka Prefecture
17:10 JST, June 8, 2024
OSAKA (Jiji Press) — Sharp Corp. said Friday that it has signed a basic agreement to grant telecommunications carrier SoftBank Corp. exclusive negotiating rights for the partial sale of its Sakai plant in Osaka Prefecture.
Sharp will halt production at the Sakai plant by the end of September as it scales down its liquid crystal display business.
SoftBank plans to take over about 440,000 square meters, or about 60%, of the plant site and build a large data center for the development of generative artificial intelligence.
It aims to start construction this autumn and put the data center into full operation in 2025.
The price for the section of the plant site will be decided later.
SoftBank plans to operate the data center on its own, while allowing external organizations such as universities and research institutions to use it.
Sharp and SoftBank will also consider collaborating on AI-related businesses.
Sharp had already agreed to begin talks with another major telecommunications carrier, KDDI Corp., and others to establish an AI data center elsewhere on the Sakai plant site.
"Business" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
Japanese Companies Increasing Efforts to Hire Foreign Students; Firms, Local Governments Help Them Acquire Skills to Find Jobs in Japan
-
Japan’s Newly Harvested Rice Arrives on Store Shelves; Prices Soar 30%-50% Following Shortage
-
Japan to Give New Subsidies for Domestic EV Battery Output
-
Spa Resort Hawaiians Gets Offer from U.S. Fund
-
JR Freight Rail Yards Inspected over Data Fraud
JN ACCESS RANKING
- Philippines Steps Up Defense of Northernmost Province with Eye on Possible Contingency Involving Taiwan
- Tokyo Companies Prepare for Ashfall From Mt. Fuji Eruption; Disposal Of Ash, Possibly at Sea, A Major Challenge
- Harris Widens Lead over Trump to 47%-40%, Reuters/Ipsos Poll Finds
- Japanese Companies Increasing Efforts to Hire Foreign Students; Firms, Local Governments Help Them Acquire Skills to Find Jobs in Japan
- Typhoon Bebinca Could Approach Southern Japan In Days; Heavy Storms Expected from Saturday (Update 1)