Striving to be nation's center for integrated circuits

Two investment funds for the national integrated circuit industry were recently set up in ETown.

Their 150 billion yuan ($24.4 billion) in capital comes from governments and private investors and will be used to further develop computer chip manufacturing and related industries, according to the Beijing Microelectronics International Seminar held from Oct 23 to 24.

The initiative aims to further promote chip manufacturing, packaging, testing, equipment and materials, the conference was told.

As well, ETown and leading colleges, research institutes and integrated circuit companies are jointly establishing an advanced State-level research institute.

Administrators said the zone now considers development of high-tech and modern manufacturing industries its top priority and plans to grow into the core area for the nation's integrated circuit industry and one with global influence.

The zone's administrative committee said construction on China's first production line for 12-inch chips has been completed in the zone.

The range of efforts has laid a solid foundation for the home-developed integrated circuit industry, enabling Beijing to lead the nation in the field.

After a State Council guideline in June to promote the integrated circuit development, companies in ETown have a great opportunity to achieve "leapfrog development", the administrative committee said

They said the zone will highlight innovation in four kinds of chip products and integrate resources in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei to build industrial clusters.

Plans call for sales revenue from the integrated circuit industry in ETown to reach 100 billion yuan by 2020, and by 2025 become a world-leading research center in baseband chips, power electronics and radio frequency integrated circuits.

ETown's four pillar industries are now electronic information, biomedicine, automobile production and equipment manufacturing.

Revenues in its electronic information sector account for nearly 50 percent of Beijing's total, with leading companies in mobile communications, digital television, cloud computing and e-commerce.

haonan@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 11/10/2014 page32)