The 2019 Integrated Circuit Industry Chain Collaborative Innovation and Development Exchange Conference and the Integrated Circuit Industry Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance Conference were held in Beijing.

On February 23, 2019, the Integrated Circuit Industry Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance (hereinafter referred to as the “Alliance”) held the “2019 Integrated Circuit Industry Chain Collaborative Innovation and Development Exchange Meeting & Integrated Circuit Industry Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance Conference” in Beijing. More than 240 representatives from enterprises, universities, and research institutes across various segments of the domestic integrated circuit industry—including internet companies, system integrators, terminal application providers, and the entire integrated circuit value chain—attended the meeting. The conference aimed to further strengthen close cooperation between upstream and downstream sectors of the integrated circuit industry chain, promote collaborative technological innovation within the industry, and jointly explore new ideas and initiatives for the development of China’s integrated circuit industry technology under the new era and new circumstances. Cao Jianlin, Chairman of the Alliance, Ye Tianchun, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General, and Ma Junru, Director of the Alliance’s Expert Advisory Committee, among others, participated in the meeting. The conference also welcomed special guests and leaders including Li Meng, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology; Yin Yong, Vice Mayor of Beijing; Qiao Yue Shan, Director-General of the Electronic Information Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology; Ding Wenwu, President of the National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund Co., Ltd.; and Lu Jun, President of Huaxin Investment Management Co., Ltd.

Chairman Cao Jianlin, on behalf of the Alliance, expressed gratitude to all the leaders, guests, and representatives from member organizations for attending this meeting. He pointed out that China boasts the world’s largest user market and the most comprehensive industrial chain distribution. The Alliance must fully leverage its role as a bridge between industry, academia, research, and application, as well as between upstream and downstream sectors of the industrial chain, and work together with all sectors to accelerate the development of China’s integrated circuit industry and propel it to the forefront of the global stage.

Vice Minister Li Meng of the Ministry of Science and Technology extended his congratulations on the convening of the conference. He pointed out that since its establishment, the alliance has set up a robust platform for communication and collaboration among industry, academia, and research institutions, with the goal of achieving breakthroughs in industrial technologies. He emphasized that the alliance must play a unique role in promoting technological innovation in the integrated circuit industry, further deepening cooperation across the upstream and downstream segments of the industrial chain and facilitating the commercialization of major scientific and technological achievements. The alliance should also help explore new mechanisms for diversified investment and forge new pathways for international cooperation; fully leverage the expertise of high-caliber talent; and accelerate technological innovation in the industry.

Vice Mayor Yin Yong of Beijing pointed out that Beijing is the birthplace of innovation and a major industrial cluster for China’s integrated circuit industry. The alliance has effectively promoted technological innovation and supply-chain collaboration within China’s integrated circuit industry. He expressed three hopes for the alliance’s development: to become a “think tank” for industry research, organizing member companies to conduct in-depth studies on industrial technology development strategies; to serve as a “catalyst” for technology transfer, establishing platforms among enterprises to drive continuous innovation across all links of the industrial chain; and to act as a “connector” for industry-wide collaboration, strengthening coordination between upstream and downstream segments of the supply chain.

Ding Wenwu, President of the China National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund Co., Ltd., stated that China’s integrated circuit industry has made significant progress. However, compared with developed countries around the world, there are still gaps in areas such as the development of high-end chips, industrial scale, and R&D investment. Colleagues in the industry have a long and arduous road ahead. We must work together with one heart, seize opportunities, and strive tirelessly to achieve a leapfrog development of our industry.

Ye Tianchun, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the Alliance, Director of the Institute of Microelectronics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Chief Technical Advisor for National Key Science and Technology Project No. 02, delivered a report titled “Reflections on China’s Innovation and Development Strategy for the Integrated Circuit Industry.” The report provided an in-depth analysis of the current development landscape of the integrated circuit industry, as well as some of the challenges and strategic considerations facing China’s semiconductor sector throughout its development journey. The conference also specially invited Dr. Yang Shining, CEO of Yangtze Memory Technologies Co., Ltd.; Zhu Yiming, Chairman of Beijing Zhaoyi Innovation Technology Co., Ltd.; Dr. Cao Liqiang, General Manager of HuaJin Semiconductor Packaging Leading-edge Technology R&D Center Co., Ltd.; and Lü Guangquan, General Manager of Shenyang Tuojing Technology Co., Ltd., to share their experiences in technological innovation and supply-chain collaboration.

During the conference, the Second Integrated Circuit Industry Technology Innovation Award (hereinafter referred to as the “IC Innovation Award”) was presented, recognizing 21 organizations and 4 individuals who have achieved outstanding accomplishments in areas such as technological innovation in the integrated circuit industry, promotion of industrialization of research results, and collaboration across the industrial chain. A total of 10 awards were given for technological innovation, 7 awards for industrialization of research results, 4 awards for industrial chain cooperation, and 4 awards for outstanding contributions to industrial innovation. Among the recipients of the Outstanding Contribution to Industrial Innovation Award were Yang Shining, CEO of Yangtze Memory Technologies Co., Ltd.; Geng Jinqi, Vice Chairman of Northern Hi-Tech Group Co., Ltd.; Zhu Yiming, Chairman of Beijing Zhaoyi Innovation Technology Co., Ltd.; and Yu XieKang, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the National Integrated Circuit Packaging and Testing Industry Chain Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance.

Finally, Ma Junru, Director of the Alliance’s Expert Advisory Committee and Head of the Supervision and Evaluation Expert Group for the Electronic Information Sector under the National Major Science and Technology Project, delivered a speech. He emphasized that, thanks to long-term technological accumulation, domestically produced equipment, materials, and components have reached a new level in terms of application verification, enabling the industry to shift from being reliant on imports to beginning to achieve independent innovation. Moving forward, we must fully leverage the alliance’s strengths in coordination and organization to further open up new horizons for collaborative innovation and win-win cooperation across the integrated circuit industry chain.