A sketch of the development base for integrated circuits in the Hefei National High-Tech Industrial Development Zone in East China’s Anhui province [Photo/anhuinews.com]

Supported by national and provincial governments, the integrated circuit (IC) industry in the Hefei National High-Tech Industrial Development Zone has maintained rapid growth in recent years.

In 2019, a national alliance for the IC industry was established in the zone to offer services for IC startup and investment. This is expected to accelerate the rapid development of the zone’s IC industry.

As early as 2013, the Hefei tech zone had introduced special policies for the IC industry and given priority to fostering innovation and industrial chains oriented at the healthy development of the IC industry.

After years of development, the zone is now home to more than 170 IC enterprises, including 130 focused on IC design such as Synopsys Inc, a United States software company, and semiconductor-maker MediaTek Inc. A complete IC industrial chain covering design, manufacturing, packaging, and testing has now taken shape in the zone, making it a beacon of the IC industry.

In 2018, the output value of the IC industry in the Hefei tech zone exceeded 28 billion yuan ($4 billion), representing a year-on-year growth of 19 percent.

Also, a string of measures have been unveiled to support the zone’s IC firms and help them boost their innovation capabilities. The zone now serves as a hub for a number of innovative platforms, including six national and 23 provincial ones, as well as 34 national high-tech IC enterprises. The "technology-powered and science-driven" strategy of the zone has provided a powerful impetus for the development of its IC industry.

The zone has benefited tremendously from its abundance of talent, and has established partnerships with several top universities in Hefei, such as the University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui University, and Hefei University of Technology, providing strong support for research into IC development.

Additionally, special funds have been allocated by local governments to offer financial support for IC enterprises in order to promote the research and development of IC technology. 

According to local authorities, the Hefei tech zone is expected to be home to 200 IC design industries by the end of this year and develop a design base with national influence in an effort to help Hefei’s IC industry enter the country’s top five and transform the city into a model for IC development.