Japan and the European Union have agreed to strengthen ties for a stable supply of semiconductors.

Japanese industry minister Nishimura Yasutoshi and European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton signed a memorandum in Tokyo on Tuesday.

The two sides agreed to promote information sharing and work together at a time when the chip industry faces supply chain disruptions due to the pandemic and other problems.

They also agreed to closely cooperate in research and development for materials essential for next-generation chips.

Japan and the EU will also exchange opinions on fostering human resources and share information on subsidies for the industry to ensure appropriate competition.

Nishimura said he expects both sides to contribute to the resilience of semiconductor supply chains by promoting cooperation and using each other's strengths and knowledge.

Japan and the EU are building up ties in the chip sector to enhance economic security.

In December, new Japanese semiconductor consortium Rapidus exchanged a memorandum with a Belgian research lab to conduct joint research and development on next-generation chips. Rapidus was founded by eight major Japanese firms.