Electronics innovation area expected to boost economy

The microelectronics innovation center in Laoshan district in Qingdao, Shandong province, made its debut on Dec 21, an event attended by a large group of industrial leaders.

This center was established in January as a State-owned enterprise solely owned by the Laoshan district government, as an active response to plans of building an important research and development area for the microelectronics industry.

It will provide services and resources covering the entire integrated circuit industrial chain to companies, enabling them to exchange expertise and enjoy cooperation, and push the incubation of new technology and products.

Many big names appear on the center's member list, including the Electronic Design Automation center of Chinese Academy of Sciences. Since its founding in 2002, the center has become a world-class network platform of research and education in electronic systems and integrated circuit design.

It recently joined forces with the Laoshan government and launched its arm in Qingdao. The Qingdao branch has two types of platform: high-performance computing and networked EDA service to generate augmented reality, 5G, AI and Micro-Electro-Mechanical System chips, as well as an integrated circuit information service platform to support and train professionals.

Other highlights of the Qingdao microelectronics innovation center's star-studded list are: Siflower, which developed the first wireless routing gateway chip in the mainland; mCube, which will jointly build a laboratory of intelligent control sensors with Haier; and Zchip, the largest integrated circuit back-end layout design service company, accounting for more than 70 percent of the domestic market share.

The innovation center also includes Qstsking, a professional integrated circuit training organization that trains more than 500 personnel each year; and Goertek, an intelligent sensor project that, when finished, will have the capacity to make 500 million smart sensor systems every year and is forecast to reach an output of 5 billion yuan ($729 million) in three years.

Laoshan's leaders expressed their confidence that the Qingdao microelectronics innovation center will have a major impact on the district, according to the local government.

This center has mapped out an action plan to make the district's vision a reality. By 2020, a group of small and medium-sized enterprises with creativity and prospects is expected to rise to prominence, taking the lead and setting an example for other firms in the area.

By 2025, the industrial cluster is expected to see rapid development, thus making a difference to the region's growth, according to officials.