On October 22, 2024, the 12th China Hard Technology Industry Chain Innovation Trend Summit and 100 Media Forum was held at the Courtyard by Marriott Shenzhen Bay Ecological Science and Technology Park. The summit was hosted by EEVIA and attracted a wide range of participation from leading enterprises, technical experts and mainstream media from electronic information, semiconductor, AI, automotive and new energy industries. Experts from OSRAM, Qorvo China, Fujitsu Semiconductor Technology, Feiling Micro, ARM Technology, Sichain and other companies delivered wonderful keynote speeches. The conference focused on the current innovation breakthroughs in the hard technology industry, overseas strategies, and green and sustainable development technology trends, and discussed how to find new growth points in the context of the uncertain global economic situation. China Exportsemi was invited to participate in the whole process of the conference to bring you the freshest insight reports.
Definition and background of hard technology
The term "hard technology" has gradually become synonymous with China's high-tech industry, referring to core technologies in frontier fields including but not limited to integrated circuits, artificial intelligence, new energy, quantum computing, life sciences and other frontier fields. These technology fields are characterized by high thresholds, high risks, and high investment, and usually require enterprises to invest heavily in R&D and innovation. With the Chinese government's emphasis on independent innovation in science and technology, hard technology has become an important driving force for industrial development and plays an increasingly important role in the global industrial chain.
In recent years, changes in the domestic and foreign economic environment, as well as the intensification of trade frictions and technological wars, have prompted Chinese enterprises to accelerate their independent R&D and innovation in core technologies, thereby reducing their dependence on external technologies and promoting the independent and controllable industrial chain. Therefore, the theme of this summit is "Innovation, Breakthrough, and Green Development", and how to achieve global expansion and breakthrough in the hard technology industry chain under the new situation.
Figure: The 12th China Hard Technology Industry Chain Innovation Trend Summit and 100 Media Forum
Trends and Challenges of Industrial Innovation
At the summit, representatives of a number of well-known companies shared their insights and analysis on the innovation trends of hard technology. For example, Yixin Feng, General Manager of Fujitsu Semiconductor Technology (Shanghai), introduced the new generation of FeRAM technology, a new type of memory with high reliability and no delay, which is ideal for Internet of Things (IoT) and edge computing applications. In addition, Jiang Xiong, senior sales director of Qorvo China, emphasized that in the field of consumer electronics, intelligent connectivity and energy efficiency improvement are becoming the two core trends of the industry.
In the roundtable discussion session, the guests at the meeting focused on "cold thinking about the overseas gold mining boom, how to plan the layout of the hard technology chain going global?" There was an in-depth exchange on this topic. The challenges faced by hard technology companies in the process of going overseas mainly include: the complexity of the international market, cultural and market differences, and the difficulty of R&D and product positioning. Although there are huge potential markets in fields such as semiconductors, new energy, and AI, how to effectively promote products and services to the world, and how to break through patent barriers and standard restrictions, are still issues that need to be solved urgently by China's hard technology enterprises.
Going Global 4.0 Era: Opportunities and Challenges
In recent years, more and more Chinese hard technology companies have set their sights on overseas markets, especially in Southeast Asia, Europe and other places for technology export and market development. However, unlike the early "manufacturing overseas", the current stage of going overseas is called "going overseas 4.0", emphasizing no longer a simple production transfer, but a global layout based on technology and innovation. This requires not only strong technical research and development strength, but also keen market insight and flexible strategic planning.
At the roundtable, the experts also emphasized that going overseas 4.0 is not all smooth sailing. When many Chinese companies enter overseas markets, they will unconsciously bring in China's unique cultural traditions, but this will certainly not work, for example, "volume culture" is not accepted overseas. Localization and integration are the magic weapon to open up overseas markets.
Figure: At the roundtable forum, experts shared their views on hard technology chains go global
The green development path of hard technology
Green development is another important theme of this summit. With the increasingly urgent global demand for carbon neutrality, how to achieve sustainable development in the hard technology industry, as a high-energy-consumption and high-technology-intensive industry, has become an important issue in the industry. Minqi Bao, Product Director of ARM Technology, mentioned in his speech that the rise of AI applications on the device side, especially the development of NPU accelerators, can significantly improve the energy efficiency of terminal devices, thereby reducing overall energy consumption.
In addition, companies such as Qorvo and Osram demonstrated how technological innovations can improve energy efficiency and advance green technologies. For example, OSRAM showcased its smart lighting system, which uses advanced optics and AI algorithms to reduce energy consumption and improve driving safety. This type of technology not only meets the global market's demand for environmentally friendly and efficient products, but also meets the strategic goal of Chinese companies to build a green brand image in the global market.
According to Omdia, the ICT industry now accounts for 3% of global carbon emissions, but through digital transformation and energy optimization, other industries can be helped to reduce carbon emissions by up to 20%. Therefore, while the hard technology industry can achieve its own green transformation, it can also help other traditional industries reduce their carbon footprint through its technology output and achieve a win-win situation.
The award ceremony recognizes enterprises and individuals with outstanding performance in the field of hard technology
At the 12th China Hard Technology Industry Chain Innovation Trend Summit and 100 Media Forum, the award part is also an important part, aiming to commend enterprises and individuals with outstanding performance in the field of hard technology. At the award ceremony, E-Dimension Intelligence announced the "2024 E-Dimension Think Tank Hard Technology Industry Vertical and Horizontal Award" for the first time, in recognition of those leading enterprises and sustainable development brands that are determined to forge ahead and continue to innovate in the field of hard technology.
The award ceremony not only recognized the innovative achievements of the enterprises, but also awarded honorary certificates to the new batch of experts of the E-Dimension Think Tank in recognition of their outstanding contributions to promoting the development of the industry and providing professional insights. The establishment of this award, based on the long-term industry insight and research accumulation of the E-Dimension Think Tank team, aims to explore those companies and products that shine in the industry, convey lasting and reference ecological layout and marketing theories, and contribute to the continuous progress and prosperity of the entire industry.
Pictured: The award ceremony of the 12th China Hard Technology Industry Chain Innovation Trend Summit
Epilogue
The 12th China Hard Technology Industry Chain Innovation Trends Summit provides an important platform for the industry to exchange cutting-edge technologies, share market trends, and discuss future directions. The discussion of the guests not only revealed the innovation direction of the current hard technology industry chain, but also deeply discussed the challenges and opportunities of the industry in terms of global layout and green development.
In the future, as the influence of China's hard technology enterprises in the global market continues to increase, how to break through barriers through technological innovation and how to maintain competitiveness while green development will become the key to the success or failure of these enterprises. Whether it is in technology research and development, market expansion, or green transformation, hard technology companies need to maintain continuous innovation and keen market insight in order to gain a foothold on the global stage and achieve greater success.
