Centasist Academy, a startup originating from Kyushu Institute of Technology, is launching a service to cultivate highly skilled personnel for semiconductor design and development. It will utilize cutting-edge tools from Synopsys, a major U.S. design support software company. Targeting young engineers at SMEs and science & engineering students, the company will open applications in December 2025, with training commencing in January or February 2026. The goal is to produce 10,000 graduates within five years.

The training program offers three courses: 3-day, 1-week, and 1-2 month programs. Through collaboration with Kitakyushu City, the company will utilize cleanrooms located in the Kitakyushu Science and Research Park, enabling hands-on training that includes semiconductor manufacturing processes. Initially, four veteran engineers will serve as instructors.

President Yusuke Nakaoka, who founded the company while enrolled in Kyushu Institute of Technology's doctoral program, stated, “Japan is projected to face a shortage of 40,000 semiconductor design and manufacturing professionals in ten years. We also aim to increase the number of people who can not only design but also propose ideas for what they want to achieve using semiconductors.” The company plans to eventually accept talent from all over Asia, starting with the Philippines.