Recently, there was news that excited people who are concerned about the chip industry: Nikon plans to launch a new lithography machine in 2024, which means that they may re-enter the Chinese market. Behind this news lies a puzzle closely related to the development of China's chip industry: who has uncovered the "fig leaf" of Japanese companies?This phenomenon is a huge opportunity and challenge for Chinese chip companies. Many people in the industry have been speculating whether the closure of Japanese companies to China is the result of US export control policies. Nikon's plan to enter the Chinese market again seems to confirm this speculation.
It is understood that in the previous control policy, the Dutch ASML company received special treatment and could continue to export lithography machines to China;Japanese companies such as Canon and Nikon have been severely restricted, and their performance has declined significantly. This undoubtedly lifted the "fig leaf" for Japanese companies' business in China, and made them realize that the US regulatory policy is actually aimed at Japanese companies themselves. For this reason, Japanese companies have adjusted their strategies after awakening, and Nikon's measures have undoubtedly provided more choices and technical support for Chinese chip companies.
This is undoubtedly good news, but at the same time we must not let up. We need to realize that this is just a small episode between Japanese companies and the United States, and it will not change the ecology of the entire chip industry. In fact, in this game, Chinese chip companies are the biggest victims. We are facing endless repression from the United States, and it is difficult for us to rely entirely on "traditional friends" such as Japan. Therefore, if Chinese chip companies want to gain a firm foothold in this game, they must learn to be self-reliant, accelerate independent research and development and technological innovation.
In this regard, domestic enterprises such as Shanghai Microelectronics have been at the forefront, they have increased investment in independent innovation, and actively promote breakthroughs in core technologies. However, compared with chip powers, there is still a significant gap in the technical strength of Chinese enterprises, and key core technologies, such as lithography machines, are not yet completely independent and controllable. At present, in the context of "de-dollarization", this has become a major issue related to the national industrial security and long-term development.
Only through independent innovation and building core equipment such as lithography machines belonging to Chinese can Chinese chip companies get rid of their dependence on foreign countries, truly achieve self-reliance in the chip field, and occupy a dominant position. Of course, Chinese companies cannot be satisfied with the mentality of "rather being a chicken than a cow". We must be vigilant against the conflict of interests of enterprises in various countries, maintain a long-term vision and an open mind, and continuously improve our own strength in the competition.
Today, China's chip industry is facing unprecedented historical opportunities. In the face of this once-in-a-lifetime development opportunity, we must keep in mind the mission, have the courage to take responsibility, and always adhere to independent innovation. From the perspective of the domestic market, Chinese chip companies have made certain achievements, but they are still facing huge difficulties.
First of all, technical barriers are a problem that cannot be ignored. Compared with international chip powers, there is still a certain gap between Chinese chip companies in core technologies. As an indispensable equipment in the chip manufacturing process, lithography machines are still mainly dependent on imports, and the technology is limited. This means that Chinese chip companies are controlled by others in core technologies and cannot achieve independent production and development.
Secondly, the shortage of funds is another major problem restricting the development of China's chip enterprises. The chip industry needs huge R&D investment and production equipment investment, and Chinese chip companies are still facing great pressure in this regard. In contrast, international giants have stronger financial strength and are better able to support innovation and R&D. Therefore, Chinese chip companies need to seek more financial support through various ways to meet the needs of technology upgrading and capacity expansion.
For Chinese chip companies, policy and market are the dual forces that promote development. **Policy support is one of the key factors to enhance the strength of the industry, but there are risks of over-reliance on policy dividends. Self-improvement in the market environment is an inevitable choice for Chinese chip companies to become stronger.
First of all, it plays an important role in industrial policy formulation, financial support, and talent training. ** We should increase support for the chip industry, provide more support measures, and encourage enterprises to increase independent innovation and technological breakthroughs. At the same time, we should also strengthen international cooperation, strive for more technology introduction and cooperation projects, and promote the development of the domestic chip industry.
Secondly, the market environment plays a vital role in the development of enterprises. Enterprises should continuously improve their own strength in the market, pay attention to the improvement of product quality and performance, and cultivate their core competitiveness. At the same time, enterprises should also actively expand the market, seek more opportunities for cooperation and development, and improve their visibility and influence.
As an editor, I deeply feel the challenges and opportunities facing the development of China's chip industry. In recent years, I have witnessed the continuous progress of Chinese chip companies in terms of technology and market, and I have also interviewed some experts and scholars in the industry many times to understand their views on independent innovation and development. Through my exchanges with them, I deeply realized that if Chinese chip companies want to gain a foothold in the global market, they must break down technical barriers and increase their independent research and development efforts.
In my opinion, if Chinese chip companies want to stand out in international competition, they still need to work hard in the following aspects:
First of all, increase investment in independent innovation. Enterprises should increase their support for R&D, provide more investment and resources, cultivate a skilled R&D team, and continuously promote technological breakthroughs.
Second, strengthen cooperation with universities and research institutes. Enterprises can take advantage of the superior resources of universities and scientific research institutes to jointly carry out innovative research and technological research, and form a good mechanism for the combination of production, education and research.
Finally, increase market expansion and brand building. Enterprises should actively expand domestic and foreign markets to improve the visibility and competitiveness of their products. At the same time, we should also pay attention to brand building and establish our own brand image.
In general, while facing challenges, Chinese chip companies also contain huge opportunities. Only by insisting on independent innovation, strengthening cooperation, increasing investment, and continuously improving technical strength and market competitiveness can we achieve greater breakthroughs and development in the global chip industry. At the same time, we should also increase support for the chip industry, provide more policy and financial support, and provide a strong guarantee for the development of enterprises. Only the dual promotion of policy and market can realize the strong rise of China's chip industry and make greater contributions to the country's scientific and technological innovation and economic development.