| Press Release | 1 March 2001 |
New Product Analysis Center to Upgrade Local Semiconductor Industry
A new semiconductor product analysis center is to be established at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) to enhance the competitiveness of the local semiconductor industry in an increasingly lucrative world market.
The Semiconductor Product Analysis and Design Enhancement (SPADE) Center at HKUST has recently been awarded HK$14.9 million by the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF) for its initial three years of operation. To complement ITF, more than 20 local semiconductor companies lend their support to the Center with a sponsorship of HK$2,400,000.
Positioned at the forefront of semiconductor research, HKUST is the only university in Hong Kong equipped with a complete microelectronic fabrication line, and with the know-how to provide support for the local semiconductor industry.
Currently, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the semiconductor industry go to Taiwan or Singapore for product analysis, design enhancement and failure analysis services because they could not afford to buy the facilities themselves. As a result, they could not produce high value-added semiconductor products or improve their product development.
The SPADE Center, to open by the fourth quarter of this year, will be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to conduct product analysis, design enhancement and failure analysis. "Design and product errors will be debugged, corrected and optimized, leading to the development of high value-added semiconductor products," said Dr Johnny Sin, Project Coordinator and Associate Professor of HKUST's Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
Dr Sin estimates that the establishment of the SPADE Center alone will help boost Hong Kong's share in the world market by 30%, amounting to HK$17.85 billion (US$2.3 billion). In 2000, the total market value for the world semiconductor industry was estimated to be at US$195 billion, with the Asia Pacific region accounting for about US$44 billion, 4% of which attributed to Hong Kong.
In addition to providing services and facilities, the Center will also attract international semiconductor companies to set up their design houses in Hong Kong. Dr Sin is optimistic that this will also help attract local experts to stay. "A lot of local talents have to seek employment opportunities and career advancement in Singapore and the Silicon Valley in the US because the development of the local semiconductor industry is far lagging behind," he said.
The availability of product analysis services at HKUST is one of the decisive factors for ON Semiconductor to establish its regional head office, including a design center in Hong Kong. "We select Hong Kong as our Asia Pacific headquarters because of Hong Kong's strategic location, its sound infrastructure, its available pool of talents and its conducive environment for business," said Mr Henry Leung, President of Asia Pacific, ON Semiconductor, a global broadband and power management chips supplier and the largest sponsor of SPADE.
"We believe the establishment of SPADE is meaningful as it will provide a basic semiconductor product analysis laboratory infrastructure in Hong Kong, which can facilitate ON Semiconductor to conduct its product analysis at lower cost and in faster cycle time," he said.
"The Center could help lower our manufacturing cost, increase our competitiveness as well as provide training for our staff," said Mr Johnny K H Tsui, Managing Director of ASTEC Custom Power (HK) Ltd, another sponsor of SPADE. "It represents a synergy between the industry and the University. We could provide updated information from the industry while the Center advises us on how to tackle failure problems," he said.
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