In the tide of scientific and technological development, whoever grasps the initiative in chip manufacturing will be able to dominate the future. This has become a key focus of global technology competition. In the face of the U.S. technological blockade of Huawei and other companies, China's semiconductor industry realizes that only by realizing the independent and controllable chips can it truly grasp the right to speak and occupy a favorable position in the future scientific and technological competition.
Against this backdrop, SMIC has gradually grown into a promising star in China's semiconductor industry with its strategic vision and execution. It has abandoned the past strategy of "building is better than buying, buying is better than renting", and has taken the initiative to continuously narrow the gap with world-class chip manufacturers through large-scale investment and technological innovation, setting a striking example.
1. From "little brother" to "leader" The key to SMIC's rise
Looking back at SMIC's development history, its road to success has been fraught with difficulties. As one of the earliest companies engaged in wafer foundry in China, SMIC has been in the position of "little brother" for a long time, and compared with international giants such as TSMC and Samsung, there is a significant gap in terms of technical level and production capacity. However, with the strong support of national policies, SMIC adheres to independent innovation and gradually realizes the transformation from "follower" to "leader".
The key to this is that SMIC has clarified its positioning and development direction in the industrial chain. Unlike TSMC and other companies that blindly pursue advanced processes, SMIC chooses to focus on the production and R&D of mature processes. This strategic positioning is precisely in line with the actual needs of Chinese enterprises. In the context of the rapid development of new energy vehicles, the Internet of Things and other industries, the demand for mature process chips has surged, and SMIC has seized this opportunity and quickly occupied the market gap.
At the same time, SMIC continues to promote capacity expansion and process upgrading with a high degree of strategic vision and execution. In the face of the technological suppression of international competitors, it has continuously increased R&D investment, made major breakthroughs in advanced processes such as N+1 and N+2, and produced chips comparable to 7nm and 5nm, significantly narrowing the gap with TSMC and other world-class enterprises. This not only ensures its own technical advantages, but also provides a reliable chip supply for domestic enterprises.
It can be said that the rise of SMIC is an important milestone on the road of independent innovation in China's semiconductor industry. Through clear positioning and firm determination, with the support of national policies, it has continuously improved its own strength and become the "leader" of China's chip manufacturing. This not only boosted the confidence of the Chinese people, but also laid a good foundation for China's chip industry to achieve independence and controllability in the future.
2. SMIC's development strategy of "changing lanes and overtaking".
In the competitive pattern of scientific and technological development, whoever can dominate the industrial chain will be able to grasp the initiative. It is with its unique development strategy that SMIC has achieved a counterattack from a "little brother" to a "leader".
Focus on mature technology to meet the needs of the domestic market
In the face of the occupation of advanced manufacturing processes by international giants, SMIC has chosen a development path of "overtaking in corners". It voluntarily abandoned the practice of competing head-to-head with it, and instead targeted the mature process chip market.
Behind this strategic positioning is SMIC's accurate grasp of the actual needs of Chinese enterprises. In the context of the rapid development of new energy vehicles, the Internet of Things and other industries, the demand for mature process chips is rising rapidly. Domestic companies have long been subject to foreign chip suppliers and urgently need a reliable domestic alternative.
SMIC has seized this gap in the market, greatly increased the production capacity and yield rate of mature processes, and provided a stable and reliable chip supply for domestic enterprises. In particular, driven by the rapid growth of new energy vehicle companies such as BYD, SMIC's order volume and market share have continued to rise, and it has gradually become a leader in this market segment.
This focus on the domestic market not only satisfies the urgent needs of domestic enterprises, but also greatly reduces SMIC's dependence on international giants. In contrast, companies such as TSMC pay more attention to high-end customers and advanced processes, which leaves a lot of market space for SMIC. This strategy of "changing lanes and overtaking" eventually allowed SMIC to dominate the domestic market.
Continue to innovate and gradually narrow the gap
At the same time, SMIC has not given up on the research and development of advanced manufacturing processes. It still maintains large-scale technology investment, has made breakthroughs in N+1 and N+2 processes, and has successfully manufactured chips comparable to 7nm and 5nm. This not only improves its own technical strength, but also lays the foundation for future market expansion.
This approach of taking into account both mature processes and advanced manufacturing processes reflects SMIC's strategic vision and execution. On the one hand, it occupies the domestic demand market with mature technology, enhancing its profitability and anti-risk ability; On the other hand, it continues to invest in the research and development of advanced manufacturing processes, and constantly narrows the technological gap with world-class enterprises.
It can be said that this multi-pronged development strategy is the key to SMIC's successful counterattack. It is not simply following in the footsteps of TSMC and other enterprises, but has taken the initiative to plan a unique development path according to its own advantages and industry needs. This not only reflects its strong ability to innovate, but also underlines its vision as an industry leader.
Build advantageous production capacity to ensure supply security
In addition to technological innovation, SMIC has also made great efforts in capacity building and supply chain optimization. Through continuous investment in capacity expansion, it has greatly improved the yield rate of mature processes, making its competitiveness in this field far greater than TSMC. This not only strengthens its dominance in the domestic market, but also strengthens its bargaining power on a global scale.
More importantly, SMIC's efforts have effectively met the urgent needs of domestic enterprises for stable supply. In the face of the U.S. technology blockade of Huawei and other companies, domestic companies urgently need a reliable chip supplier to ensure the safe operation of the industrial chain. It is in this context that SMIC has become the "anchor" of domestic enterprises through continuous expansion of production and integration of the industrial chain.
For example, in the field of new energy vehicles, SMIC has become an important supplier of domestic leading enterprises such as BYD by virtue of its deep cultivation of mature technology. This effectively guarantees the chip supply of the domestic new energy vehicle industry, making it far surpass traditional automobile powers such as Japan and become the world's largest new energy vehicle producer. At the same time, SMIC is also continuously optimizing its supply chain system and working with more domestic enterprises to jointly build a stable and reliable chip supply chain.
It can be said that SMIC's layout in capacity construction and supply chain integration has not only enhanced its market competitiveness, but also laid a solid foundation for the independent and controllable entire domestic semiconductor industry. This not only demonstrates its responsibility as an industry leader, but also injects strong impetus into the future breakthrough of China's chip industry.
3. Enlightenment of strategic path: how can Chinese enterprises achieve "lane change and overtaking"
SMIC's rise is an instructive example for other Chinese technology companies. In the face of severe international competition, they should also take SMIC as a reference, take the initiative to seek changes, and achieve the development goal of "changing lanes and overtaking" through independent innovation and industrial chain integration.
First of all, we must accurately grasp our own advantages and industry needs, and find out the correct positioning. We cannot simply blindly catch up with international technology giants, but formulate a realistic development strategy based on our own conditions and market demand. As SMIC has done, it has targeted the mature process chip market, met the urgent needs of domestic enterprises, and successfully occupied a blue ocean.
Second, we must unswervingly promote independent innovation and narrow the gap. Whether it is a mature process or an advanced process, continuous technology investment and innovation are the key. Chinese enterprises should learn from international advanced experience with a more open mind, but at the same time, they must also have the determination to be independent and controllable, and constantly improve their own technical strength. Only in this way can we finally achieve a comprehensive surpass of international giants.
Third, it is necessary to focus on the integration and optimization of the industrial chain and enhance the ability to guarantee supply. The efforts of a single enterprise are ultimately limited, and the key lies in whether it can link the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain to create a more complete and controllable ecosystem. Chinese enterprises should take the initiative to lead the integration of the industrial chain, ensure the stable supply of key components such as chips, and lay the foundation for the independent and controllable entire industrial chain.
Overall, SMIC's successful experience has pointed out a path for Chinese technology companies to "change lanes and overtake". They should take this as a lesson, adhere to independent innovation, optimize the layout of the industrial chain, continue to make breakthroughs in international competition, and finally achieve true technological independence. Only in this way can Chinese enterprises occupy an advantageous position in the fierce competition in science and technology and lead the development direction of the future industry.