NHK has learned that South Korea-based chipmaker Samsung Electronics looks set to open a lab to develop advanced semiconductors in Yokohama, near Tokyo.

Sources say Samsung Electronics has decided to set up the research and development facility in the Minato Mirai business district.

Investment is expected to top 40 billion yen, or 278 million dollars, from 2024 onward. The Japanese government is expected to shoulder half the amount.

It is believed the facility will serve as a hub for developing chip-packaging technology required for high-performance chips.

The lab will employ about 100 engineers in Japan, and Samsung Electronics is studying the possibility of launching joint development with research organizations in the country.

As the United States and China lock horns over semiconductors, which are key products related to national security, the Japanese government has been calling on foreign chipmakers to make inroads into Japan to strengthen domestic supply chains.

Sources say Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio plans to disclose the government's assistance to Samsung Electronics at a meeting in Tokyo on Thursday aimed at expanding investment in Japan.

The world's largest contract chipmaker, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, is building its first plant in western Japan in a joint project with Japan's Sony Group and others.