A lab of the National Optoelectronics Innovation Center (NOEIC). [Photo/WeChat account of Optics Valley of China]

Chen Daigao, head of the silicon photonics technology department at the National Optoelectronics Innovation Center (NOEIC), is always going full speed ahead. "The technological iterations in the packaging department of the Innovation Center push us to work even harder to overcome chip challenges and meet the needs of the entire production process," he said.

Leveraging the largest optoelectronics information industrial cluster in China, the NOEIC was established in October 2017 in the East Lake High-tech Development Zone (also known as Optics Valley of China, or OVC) in Wuhan, Hubei. The Innovation Center, led by Accelink Technologies Co, was formed in collaboration with 11 optoelectronic enterprises and research institutions, integrating resources from industry, academia, research, and application.

NOEIC facilitates the domestication of chips. [Photo/WeChat account of Optics Valley of China]

Over the past six years, the center has successively achieved the first domestic production or produced the first domestic samples of several key chips.

Unlike traditional research institutions, the center focuses on market-oriented research, and products developed are directly aimed at the market, requiring researchers to not only understand the technology but also how to "sell" their products and solutions.

To this end, researchers are taken to exhibitions and seminars, which encourage them to promote product technologies through various communication platforms and market channels. In 2023, the Innovation Center's revenue growth rate reached 48.6 percent year-on-year.

Committed to the entire production process, including chip design, research and development, packaging, and system testing, the center has established four R&D platforms for specialized and innovative products and has simplified project approval processes.

"In the mass production process of new products, the precision and stability of production equipment often need to be improved. We directly assist customers with equipment upgrades until they meet mass production requirements," said Wang Dong, manager of the center's optoelectronic device technology department. "If the market lacks the materials, equipment, or supporting conditions necessary for the mass production of new products, the center will incubate related enterprises to complete the industrial chain," Wang added.