SoftBank Group Corp. founder and CEO Masayoshi Son is setting his sights on Arizona as the potential home of a groundbreaking $1 trillion industrial complex focused on artificial intelligence and robotics. The ambitious plan, dubbed “Project Crystal Land,” aims to revitalize high-tech manufacturing in the U.S. and establish Arizona as a hub for next-generation industrial innovation.
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According to a Bloomberg report, Son envisions the massive complex housing production lines for AI-powered industrial robots. A key part of the plan includes potential collaboration with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the world’s leading producer of advanced AI chips. While it remains unclear what role TSMC would play—or whether the company is even interested—SoftBank officials reportedly want the chipmaker to take on a prominent role in the project. TSMC already has a significant presence in Arizona, with a $165 billion investment in its North Phoenix campus and plans to produce 30% of its most advanced chips there across six planned fabrication plants.
Project Crystal Land is still in the early stages, with SoftBank officials actively exploring interest from global tech giants including Samsung Electronics and companies in the SoftBank Vision Fund portfolio. The project’s success will depend on support from Arizona state leaders and the federal government, including potential tax incentives and infrastructure investments. SoftBank executives have reportedly spoken with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Arizona officials about policies that could encourage companies to build facilities within the proposed complex.
If realized, the industrial park could function like a U.S.-based version of China’s Shenzhen economic zone—attracting companies, fostering innovation, and creating thousands of high-tech manufacturing jobs. Son has even suggested that this Arizona project could be the first of several cutting-edge industrial parks across the country.
The Arizona Commerce Authority has yet to comment on the potential project, and SoftBank has not yet issued an official statement. However, the announcement comes on the heels of other major investments by the Japanese conglomerate, including a $30 billion stake in OpenAI and a pending $6.5 billion acquisition of Ampere Computing, signaling SoftBank’s aggressive push to lead the future of AI infrastructure.
