- Ajinomoto is best known for msg but so does semi -management material
- It dominates the production of ABF -insulating films used in GPUs and CPUs
- The company is planning 50 percent capacity increase with more investments in 2030
Ajinomoto is a Japanese company best known for producing MSG or Monosodium Glutamate – the ubiquitous flavor enhancer often used in food, especially in Asian cuisine.
As one of the world’s largest MSG producers, the company is often closely linked to the ingredient – the name “Ajinomoto” actually translates into the “essence of taste” in Japanese.
Right now you are probably wondering why this is on Techradar Pronot? That’s because Ajinomoto is set to massively expand its investments in the semiconductor sector.
Rising ABF -Production by 50%
A report from Nikkei Asia Claims about the Japanese Food and Biotech Company plan to increase the production of ajinomoto-building films (ABF), a key insulating material used for packaging of advanced CPUs and GPUs where it helps to ensure thermal stability and electrical insulation.
First developed using the company’s expertise in amino acid chemistry (you can read the whole story here), ABF is now important for high performance semi -leading substrates, and Ajinomoto has over 95% market share in its category.
Nikkei Asia Says Ajinomoto has already spent 25 billion yen in the last two years expanding production at its facilities in Gunma, northwest of Tokyo and in Kawasaki, but it now seems to increase ABF production capacity by 50%.
“We will invest the same amount or more in 2030 that demand is rising,” said President Shigeo Nakamura, who took over the role in February 2025, in an interview with Nikkei Asia.
“We are also exploring establishing new bases,” he added, although this extension is expected to remain in Japan.
Ajinomoto’s ramping of ABF is not a surprise, given that Nakamura previously worked in research and played a key role in the development of the company’s division of electronics materials.
“We expect the sale of electronics materials, mainly ABF, grow at an annual rate of more than 10% through 2030,” Nakamura told the news site.
“We will continue to meet the needs of developing ABF into a more very functional form that supports high -performance semiconductors in the long term.”
