Chongqing- Members of the Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the Sichuan Provincial Committee of the CPPCC and department representatives from two places discussed how to co-build a world-class electronic information industry cluster.
Sichuan Tianfu New Area and Chongqing Liangjiang New Area. (iChongqing file photo)
The guideline of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle states that Sichuan and Chongqing shall jointly build an electronic information industry cluster with global prominence. Last December, the party-government meeting of Sichuan and Chongqing proposed to co-build several world-class industrial clusters.
The fourth pole of China's electronic information industry
At the end of 2020, the electronic information industry in Sichuan and Chongqing exceeded 2 trillion yuan, accounting for 14% of the national scale, and has become the fourth pole of China's electronic information industry.
Data showed that industrial clusters had achieved a new leap since the co-construction action. Two-thirds of iPads, 50% of laptops, and 10% of smartphones worldwide were made in Chengdu and Chongqing, and the region also owns the world's largest OLED production base. The strength of Chengdu and Chongqing in military electronics ranks first in China.
Gaining breakthroughs in industrial innovation, China's first self-developed high-precision G11 photomask production line has been built, the first national supercomputer center in western China has been put into operation, and the United Microelectronics Center (CUMEC) has been selected as the first national manufacturing innovation center in southwest China.
Drawing on each other's strengths
"Sichuan and Chongqing have homogeneous competition in laptops and new displays," said Zhang Shan, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC Sichuan Provincial Committee. "We need to promote complementary advantages."
To differentiate the direction of industrial development, Zhang suggested that Chongqing focuses on terminal and intelligent manufacturing while Chengdu focuses on research and development and high-end manufacturing.
Wang Wei, a member of the Chongqing Municipal Committee of the CPPCC and vice-dean of the College of Semiconductors of Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications (CUPT), believed that Chongqing could become a highland of analog chips by layout high-end analog integrated circuits and power semiconductors.
Meanwhile, Wang thought Chengdu could play a role in CPU sealing and testing technology, focusing on developing CPU chip technology and high-performance digital integrated circuits. Therefore, Chengdu-Chongqing will form an integrated circuit industrial cluster.
An ecology for industrial development
To enhance the competitiveness of the electronic information industry, Zeng Yong, a member of the CPPCC National Committee and president of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, strengthened the ability of independent innovation and powering the industrial ecosystem.
Yi Xiaoguang, a member of the Chongqing Municipal Committee of the CPPCC and president of the Chongqing Comprehensive Economic Research Institute, agreed with Zeng and said that the electronic information industry of Sichuan and Chongqing still faces many challenges in the new situation.
It is necessary for the two places to jointly promote collaboration in chains, including the industrial chain, supply chain, value chain, innovation chain, talent chain, and capital chain, to create a sound ecology of industrial development.
"To improve the layout of the international supply chain, the supply channels of raw materials and products for electronic information manufacturing in Sichuan and Chongqing also need to be upgraded," said Yi.
Yi added this could be done through cultivating independent brands, building an industrial innovation system and an innovation ecosystem, and launching international cooperation in scientific and technological innovation.