AkroStar-Tech R&D on advanced FinFET ("3D" transistors used in the design of modern processors) technology for high-speed interface chips came in first Dec 13 at the 2nd China (Hengqin) Scientific & Technological Entrepreneurship Competition.

Zeng Keqiang, chairman and co-founder of AkroStar-Tech, said the 100-million-yuan ($15-million) prize would be used to increase R&D personnel and purchase equipment. The enterprise, which is headquartered in the Hengqin International Business Center, has 40 R&D backbones in Macao, and intends to assemble an R&D team of more than 100 in Hengqin New Area.

In addition to talents, AkroStar-Tech will bring technological reserve, capital, and projects to Hengqin, while cooperating in depth with the State Key Laboratory of Analog & Mixed-Signal VLSI of the University of Macau, added Zeng.

AkroStar-Tech chairman Zeng Keqiang (L) receives Grand Prize [Photo courtesy Hengqinxinqu]

Zhuhai Geehy Semiconductor and Amicro Semiconductor are among the 17 first, second, third, and fourth prize winners, while another 10 enterprises earned honorable mentions.

The competition attracted 942 projects involved in emerging strategic industries such as integrated circuits and chip design, big data and artificial intelligence, biomedicine and medical equipment, and new materials, according to Wu Chuangwei, deputy director of the Hengqin New Area Administrative Committee.

Eighteen hi-tech innovative projects survived the qualification examination, primary selection, preliminary competition, and field investigation to enter the grand finals, which included a seven-hour roadshow.

To encourage participation by Macao sci-tech innovation projects, an "exceptional channel" was set during the preliminary competition and finals. Four Macao enterprises won the 2-million-yuan ($305,800) subsidy for honorable mentions, and two made it into the grand finals.

Since its inception in 2018, the event has attracted numerous high-quality projects to Zhuhai. For instance, iVIEW Therapeutics, Wicue Technology, and Increase Innovative Medicine (Hengqin) Research Institute entered Zhuhai's Unicorn Cultivation Repository in 2019. Increase's project was selected among the first Guangdong-Macao Sci-Tech Cooperation Projects in 2020.

This year's competition was organized by the Hengqin New Area Administrative Committee and Macao Science & Technology Development Fund. The Hengqin Bureau of Commerce and Department of Party-Masses Relationship handled it locally with support from Shenzhen Capital Group, Zero2IPO Capital, Green Pine Capital Partners, and Leader Fund (Zhuhai).