Abstract
The purpose of this article is to clarify the characteristics of the semiconductor cluster in Oita Prefecture by analyzing its formation processes and spatial linkage structures. The origin of the cluster was at the location of Toshiba Oita Operations in 1970. To reduce labor costs, Toshiba brought in local assemblers who received labor-intensive works from the beginning. With the subsequent progress in the automation of production, Toshiba outsourced the production and repair of semiconductor manufacturing equipment to local machinery factories and established subsidiary assemblers to undertake automated processes. These local suppliers supported Toshiba’s production system as “cooperation companies” (kyoryoku kigyo). As a result, the cluster had developed in the area by the mid-1990s under strong influence from Toshiba. A lack of variety in production technologies in the cluster brought a dependence on other areas (especially Tokyo) for work in specialized sections. After the late 1990s, the following changes were observed in this cluster: (1) An increase in the number of semiconductor-related companies and improvements in the variety of production technologies; (2) Increasing self-reliance of local suppliers and broadening of spatial linkages with the decline of Toshiba’s influence on the cluster; (3) Execution of screening and reorganization of assemblers. As a result of these changes, the focus of the cluster has shifted from local production systems to the newly developed industrial agglomerations. This study suggests that it is necessary to pay attention to territoriality from spatially multi-layered viewpoints to elucidate the characteristics of industrial clusters.
