Foreign and Japanese firms have rapidly facilitated industrial cooperation

The number of design-in projects in which Japanese users and foreign suppliers cooperate from the design stage on leapt almost nine-fold from approximately 550 projects in 1986 to approximately 4,800 in 1994.

Trends in Foreign Market Share in the Japanese Market

Note: Figurs shown are based on fiscal year calculations. Data Source: U.S. Liason office, Semiconductor Users Committee, Japan.

There are many cases in which foreign components are essential portions of Japanese-made products. For example, in the Japanese MPU (microprocessor unit) market, North American makers held 77% of the market share in 1994 as compared to the 22% share held by Japanese counterparts. In 1986, North American makers held a little over 40% of the market share while Japanese makers a little over 50% market share.

Market Share in the Japanese MPU Market by Supplier's Nationality