Made in China, Leading the Future

　　Ningbo Jiangfeng Electronic Materials Co., Ltd. is engaged in the research, development, and production of ultra-high-purity metals and sputtering targets for ultra-large-scale integrated circuits. Since its establishment eight years ago, the company has received strong support from science and technology policies, notably the National “02” Special Project, enabling rapid business growth. Today, Jiangfeng Electronic’s production capacity ranks among the top globally in the target materials sector. Our products have successfully entered the supply chains of world-class semiconductor companies in regions including North America, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, and Taiwan, and are already being used in mass production at the 28-nanometer technology node for 300-millimeter wafers. Currently, our technological capabilities have reached near the international cutting edge, making us a rapidly growing Chinese force in the global market for ultra-high-purity metals and sputtering targets.

　　Reflecting on my eight-year journey of hard work and entrepreneurship at the company, I’d like to share the following insights with colleagues in the industry:

　　1. The “02” special initiative promotes industry chain collaboration and accelerates self-development through collaborative innovation.

　　In the early stages of our venture, we joined the “02 Special Project” relatively early on. At that time, we had absolutely no collaboration with domestic upstream and downstream manufacturers. It was precisely under the guidance of the “02 Special Project” that we established cooperative relationships with companies such as Ningxia Dongfang Tantalum Industry, Xinjiang Zhonghe, Zunyi Titanium Industry, and the Beijing Research Institute of Nonferrous Metals, achieving remarkable results. For example, currently, all the tantalum materials our company uses for 28-nanometer technology come exclusively from Ningxia Dongfang Tantalum Industry. This collaboration with upstream industry players has greatly boosted our company’s R&D and production capabilities. Even more noteworthy is that, under the leadership of the “02 Special Project,” our cooperation with downstream partner SMIC has become even closer. Moreover, since one of the project’s objectives is to foster the development of China’s domestic industrial chain, the “02 Special Project” has significantly enhanced the sense of responsibility and mission among its partners. Today, our target materials have fully entered SMIC’s supply chain.

　　“Collaborative innovation and leapfrog development” is one of the main reasons behind our current achievements.

　　II. Sales are the foundation of survival—find a way forward through sales, and seek a path to life through sales.

　　Our team members primarily come from multinational corporations in Japan and the United States. What sets them apart is that even when they were working overseas, they were frontline sales and customer-service professionals who had already accumulated rich business experience before returning to China to start their own ventures. We understand—especially for a startup—that “sales are the very foundation of survival; sales are the ultimate truth.” That’s why, right from the company’s inception, we adopted the guiding principle: “Let sales drive R&D, let sales drive production, let sales drive management improvement, and let sales drive talent development.” The company has deeply ingrained in the Jiangfeng entrepreneurial team the core beliefs that “the customer is God,” “our sole purpose is to serve our customers,” and “work that doesn’t serve the customer is meaningless.” Although we’re a technology-driven, high-tech enterprise, our team possesses a keen market sense. As soon as we spot an opportunity in the market, we mobilize top-quality resources and go all out to serve our customers.

　　“Enterprises must undergo the rigorous tests of the market and grow within it.” Jiangfeng’s current standing in the market is proof of this.

　　Third, technology innovation that meets market demands is the core competitiveness, and high-quality service is the golden key to opening the door to our customers.

　　At the very beginning of its establishment, Jiangfeng had no brand recognition. Faced with closed doors from potential customers, what strategy could we adopt to break the deadlock? We carefully studied SMIC’s customer needs and discovered that tantalum ring components not only commanded high prices and were consumed in large quantities, but also suffered from numerous quality defects and service issues with their previous suppliers. This was precisely the market demand—a valuable business opportunity. Thus, we made the decision to rapidly develop a recycling technology for tantalum rings. That same year, we helped SMIC (Shanghai) save over a million U.S. dollars. Jiangfeng became the first company to master the technology for recycling tantalum ring components and was also the first globally to file a patent application related to this technology. It was precisely this core technology—aligned with actual market demands—that enabled us to successfully open doors to numerous customers in Taiwan, Japan, and other regions.

　　Although the “door” is open, it doesn’t guarantee that your product will consistently generate sales on the client end. What truly sets you apart is your ability to provide exceptional customer service. In terms of customer service, Jiangfeng’s strategy is encapsulated in four key principles: “early, fast, sincere, and smart.” Specifically, our service commitments are as follows: “Early: ‘Focus on identifying issues early and resolving them promptly, avoiding minor problems from escalating into major ones.’ Fast: ‘Rush to the scene at the first opportunity, take the lead in directing efforts, and face challenges head-on—never shy away when something goes wrong.’ Sincere: ‘Be completely open and honest with customers, treat their concerns seriously, and never play games or hide behind evasive tactics.’ Smart: ‘Provide effective guidance, let data do the talking, and tackle issues with professional expertise.’”

　　High quality is a must—a given, really. To open up the market, we still rely on technological innovation. It’s precisely through technological innovation that we can deliver greater value to our customers—and it’s precisely through impeccable service that Jiangfeng has been able to establish its “ultra-high purity” brand.

　　4. Continuously improve the quality system in practice, localize management, and internationalize sales.

　　Jiangfeng Electronics has undergone quality-system audits by leading semiconductor companies from around the world. In 2012 alone, we were audited by 63 companies from various regions globally. Although two members of Jiangfeng’s founding team previously served as plant directors at multinational corporations, and three others held positions as quality managers at multinational firms—giving them extensive experience in quality systems and practical management—establishing an effective quality-management system within the context of Chinese culture remains a significant challenge. Through repeated customer audits, Jiangfeng has adopted a mindset of “open-mindedness, openness, honesty, and a willingness to learn,” embracing “continuous improvement” and thereby building trusting relationships with its customers and earning their widespread recognition.

　　The chip manufacturing industry is an internationally integrated sector, and most of the managers working in this industry have overseas work and life experiences, making them highly familiar with and adept at foreign management practices. However, simply copying or transplanting foreign management experiences wholesale is not well-suited to China’s national conditions. Moreover, many of our returnees who studied abroad primarily engaged in research and technical management roles. Thus, creating corporate culture and management systems—areas in which we are neither familiar nor particularly skilled—is a challenge for us. Grounded in our local context, we must learn from many outstanding Chinese enterprises. The key question for us now is how to adopt a Chinese-style management approach that is tailored to our own company’s specific circumstances.

　　The integrated circuit industry is once again an international market, with intricate and multifaceted connections among customers. From the very beginning of our venture, we set our sights on the international market. Initially, we targeted Japanese customers, because Japan was a market we were familiar with—and more importantly, Japanese customers produce their own products rather than engaging in contract manufacturing, giving them greater autonomy in selecting suppliers. Our successful sales in Japan earned us an excellent reputation, prompting us to turn our attention to Taiwan. Taiwan boasts strong overall capabilities in the semiconductor industry, enabling it to evaluate new products and technologies effectively. Moreover, many of our customers in Japan, Taiwan, mainland China, and the United States already have established communication channels internally. Thus, a successful sales performance in one region will strongly support our market expansion efforts in other regions as well.

　　“Rooted in the local market, continuously improving, and targeting the global market”—this approach has ensured that Jiangfeng Electronics has achieved today’s remarkable performance.

　　5. Deepen international cooperation and vigorously attract core talent who master market expertise, management skills, and advanced technologies.

　　China’s semiconductor industry started relatively late, and its supporting industrial capabilities still need to be enhanced. As a result, it relies on international cooperation in many areas, including raw materials, equipment, technology, and market information. Thanks to their long-term experience working abroad, Jiangfeng’s team has established deep cooperative mechanisms with multinational corporations in related industries overseas. It is fair to say that without international cooperation, Jiangfeng would not have achieved its current industrial standing today.

　　Jiangfeng Electronics places great importance on talent acquisition, with a particular focus on attracting high-caliber professionals who possess an international perspective and at the same time have deep expertise in market dynamics and business management. Since the reform and opening-up policy was introduced, China has sent numerous outstanding individuals abroad. Thanks to their exceptional academic achievements and advanced technical skills, most of these individuals have been engaged in technological research and development overseas. However, it is relatively rare to find talents who are actually working on the front lines of the market—involved in product design, marketing, and technical services, including those directly involved in production and quality management. For this reason, Jiangfeng places special emphasis on recruiting talent with practical management capabilities or those with strong market-development skills. After all, only by excelling in both market competitiveness and management can technology fully realize its true potential.

　　In-depth international cooperation and the introduction of comprehensive talent are the driving forces behind Jiangfeng's sustained development.

　　Six, clearly define responsibilities and missions, achieve glory and realize dreams—“Start a business together, succeed together.”

　　The people of Jiangfeng feel a sense of responsibility: “To imbue ‘Made in China’ with greater depth and meaning.” They have a mission: “To add luster to ‘Made in China.’” And they harbor a dream: “To become a world-class semiconductor enterprise.” At Jiangfeng Electronics, these are not mere empty words—they’re deeply ingrained in the very blood of every employee, guiding the work of each and every Jiangfeng person.

　　“My work embodies the quality of Made in China.” Rapid development has brought Jiangfeng people boundless honor and pride. “Together in entrepreneurship, together in success”—Jiangfeng Electronics vigorously promotes an entrepreneurial culture and shares the fruits of the company’s growth with everyone.

　　“Responsibility, Glory, and Dreams”—the people of Jiangfeng are passionately pursuing their “Chinese Dream” with full entrepreneurial enthusiasm.