The Materials Alliance Expands Its Component Business; The Alliance Renames Itself the "Strategic Alliance for Technological Innovation in Integrated Circuit Materials and Components Industry."

　　Since its establishment in 2012, the Materials Alliance has carried out extensive work in promoting cooperation across the industrial chain, fostering exchanges between industry and academia, facilitating international exchanges and collaboration, and supporting the efforts of both government and industry. Currently, the level of industrial application of certain materials used in integrated circuit manufacturing in China has advanced to 28-nanometer technology. Among domestic 8- to 12-inch integrated circuit fabrication plants, the number of material types sourced from the Alliance has reached 19, with the procurement proportion exceeding 50%. In conjunction with the implementation of the “02 Special Project,” the Alliance Secretariat has made remarkable achievements in advancing the mass production and application of the project’s outcomes as well as in enhancing related technologies, and has accumulated rich experience in the process.

　　Just as materials play a fundamental role in integrated circuit manufacturing, critical components are equally essential for ensuring the stable operation of integrated circuit production lines. Promoting the localization of key components is of great significance for securing the supply of core components, achieving strategic independence, reducing logistics costs, and enhancing corporate profitability. The components used in integrated circuit production lines exhibit several characteristics—such as a wide variety of types, small market sizes for individual components, and long evaluation cycles—that closely resemble those of materials. Moreover, some components are consumables in the manufacturing process, making their material properties even more prominent. Following recommendations from industry representatives and leading experts, the Materials Alliance will, building on its existing expertise, expand into the components business, leveraging the established industrial chain cooperation mechanisms to accelerate technological advancement and industrialization of both materials and components.

　　To accommodate the needs of business expansion, the alliance has officially been renamed the “Integrated Circuit Materials and Components Industry Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance.” Mr. Zheng Guangwen, Chairman of Beijing Yisheng Precision Semiconductor Co., Ltd., and Mr. Li Changlong, General Manager of Shenyang Institute of Scientific Instruments Co., Ltd. under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, have been added as Vice Chairpersons of the alliance. Additionally, Mr. Zhang Jiale, General Manager of Beijing Yisheng Precision Semiconductor Co., Ltd., has been appointed as a member of the alliance’s Expert Advisory Committee. Meanwhile, to strengthen the organizational leadership of the alliance’s daily operations, Ms. Shi Ying, the alliance’s Secretary-General, has been appointed as the Executive Vice Chairperson of the alliance. Recently, the alliance held its fourth and fifth meetings of the second council in Beijing, during which the above-mentioned resolutions were adopted, and the alliance’s articles of association and related management regulations were revised. The council also reviewed applications from 19 companies seeking to join the alliance. Currently, the number of alliance members has expanded to 94, including 22 companies engaged in component-related businesses.

　　During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, China is at a historic juncture—a critical window of opportunity—to transition from a manufacturing giant to a manufacturing powerhouse and achieve innovation-driven development. This period also represents an important window of opportunity for the development of China’s integrated circuit industry. If we fail to fundamentally address our reliance on imports for basic materials and key components used in integrated circuit manufacturing, it will severely constrain the realization of the aforementioned strategic goals. In his speech, Director Qiu Gang from the Office of Major Special Projects of the Ministry of Science and Technology pointed out that materials and components are the foundation of the integrated circuit industry, situated at the very upstream of the industrial chain and occupying a strategically central position in industrial development. In the future, the bottleneck for China’s integrated circuit industry will continue to lie in materials and components. The alliance must make great efforts to conduct research on development strategies and countermeasures, exploring how to seize opportunities for development despite our late-mover disadvantages. Several major domestic manufacturing enterprises have expressed strong willingness to support the development of China’s domestically produced materials and components industries. The alliance should guide these enterprises to shift their mindset and explore methodologies for driving industrial development through market-oriented mechanisms. At the same time, the alliance must also put forward practical and feasible policy recommendations to government departments, ensuring that support measures for the materials and components industry yield tangible results. The Materials and Components Alliance should set ambitious goals, with its development objectives fully reflecting China’s national strategy in the field of integrated circuit materials and components. It should also assemble a team of dedicated professionals who are passionate about public welfare in the industry and possess outstanding industry leadership capabilities. By striving to build a well-known brand for the industry’s technology innovation strategic alliance, the alliance can provide specialized third-party services to support industry development and make valuable contributions to the country’s transformation and development.

　　The Strategic Alliance for Technological Innovation in the Integrated Circuit Materials and Components Industry will shoulder the responsibility and mission entrusted to it by history. With united hearts and concerted efforts, we will work diligently to achieve, as soon as possible, localized supply of materials and components for integrated circuit manufacturing in China and to elevate our industry’s overall innovation capability to internationally advanced levels.