HKPC Collaborates with JinTech Semiconductor to Promote Smart Microelectronics Manufacturing in Hong Kong

(Hong Kong, 18 April 2024) – The Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with JinTech Semiconductor Limited (JinTech Semiconductor) today, pledging to a collaborated effort in promoting the development and application of technologies related to Hong Kong’s semiconductor industry, as well as the training of technical professionals. HKPC and JinTech Semiconductor will leverage their respective advantages to achieve new industrialisation, further strengthen Hong Kong’s advanced manufacturing industry chain, and comprehensively enhance the brand strength of smart microelectronics manufacturing to achieve high-quality development in Hong Kong.

Since last year, HKPC has assisted JinTech Semiconductor in the planning and analysis of production technology, the layout of factories and production lines, and the formulation of intelligent and fully automatic microelectronic wafer grading technologies. Under the agreement to deepen collaboration, HKPC will provide extensive support to JinTech Semiconductor to tailor-made an automated and smart Microfactory in Hong Kong by applying advanced Industry 4.0 technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and human-machine interface image processing, etc. The smart production line has been funded by “New industrialisation Funding Scheme” (NIFS) of the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) of the HKSAR Government.

On the day of the MoU signing, the opening ceremony of JinTech Semiconductor's semiconductor memory testing factory in Hong Kong was also held. JinTech Semiconductor expects a total investment of US$100 million within five years and aims to achieve an annual output value exceeding US$500 million by 2027. JinTech Semiconductor will also continue to recruit and nurture more innovation and technology (I&T) talents for Hong Kong's semiconductor industry in the coming year.

With an increasing demand for 5G communications and AI, the scale of semiconductors worldwide is expected to grow continuously and exceed US$1 trillion by 2030. As the cornerstone of the digital economy and the core hardware of the global information technology industry, the semiconductor chip industry is currently one of our country’s strategic emerging industries. Hong Kong is one of the world’s largest markets for the import and export of semiconductors. The Hong Kong I&T Development Blueprint unveiled by the HKSAR Government clearly states that Hong Kong needs to strengthen its support for developing advanced manufacturing industries of strategic importance. The HKSAR Government will establish the Hong Kong Microelectronics Research and Development Institute (HKMSRDI) this year, to foster R&D of microelectronics and promote new industrialisation in Hong Kong. HKPC fully supports the HKSAR Government to spearhead strategic emerging industries to set up manufacturing facilities and smart production lines locally. HKPC has set up a cross-disciplinary technical team, focusing on advanced materials, advanced manufacturing, Industry 4.0, AI and other innovative R&D fields, to accelerate the development of microelectronics and next-generation semiconductor industries.

Hon Sunny TAN, Chairman of HKPC, said, “HKPC actively supports the HKSAR Government in developing strategic advanced manufacturing industries and digital economy. The successful establishment of JinTech Semiconductor factory showcases the first prime collaboration of HKPC’s cross-disciplinary technical team in promoting smart microelectronics manufacturing in Hong Kong. With complementary advantages, HKPC will leverage its world-leading advanced technologies and accumulated experience in supporting enterprises to upgrade and transform, so that JinTech Semiconductor could optimise production processes. HKPC will empower smart manufacturing in the production of semiconductor grading and packaging, to foster a customised, hyper-local and sustainable ‘Microfactory’ with Hong Kong characteristics. With JinTech Semiconductor's extensive experience and market influence in semiconductor storage grading, we will jointly promote the development of Hong Kong’s microelectronics ecosystem, to expedite the formation of new productive forces according to local conditions and accelerate Hong Kong’s development as an international I&T centre and a smart city.”

The current global semiconductor industry chain is deeply integrated, including three core segments: design, manufacturing, grading and packaging. Industrial support includes basic science and technology R&D, semiconductor equipment and semiconductor materials. JinTech Semiconductor is a comprehensive service provider that delivers professional solutions including testing and sales services for memory wafers. JinTech Semiconductor cooperates with the upstream design and manufacturing of the semiconductor industry, to deliver semiconductor products that undergo reliability and stability testing. The products are applicable to a wide range of downstream markets, including consumer electronics, computers and servers, communications and Internet of Things, automotive, industrial, medical and aerospace applications.

Mr Robert WANG, Chairman of JinTech Semiconductor, said, “As the first semiconductor testing and packaging company truly based in Hong Kong, JinTech Semiconductor is pleased to deepen its cooperation with HKPC to integrate Industry 4.0, AI and human-machine interface technologies to provide more reliable and cutting-edge testing technology, build higher value-added production lines, move towards ‘Industry 4.0’ smart manufacturing. JinTech Semiconductor will enhance sustainable development capabilities, and promote the I&T development of Hong Kong semiconductor industry, so as to strengthen the brand advantages of ‘Made in Hong Kong’, and fully support the HKSAR Government to develop new industrialisation. Hong Kong possesses distinctive advantages such as being a prominent trading hub in the Asia-Pacific region, the central city of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and the core engine of regional development with world-class business environment, sophisticated intellectual property protection system and tax facilitation. These unique advantages enable Hong Kong to have the potential of serving as a distribution center for semiconductor wafers, complementing and collaborating with different cities in GBA and Mainland. Through the collaboration with HKPC, JinTech Semiconductor’s memory testing factory will offer semiconductor products grading and processing services in Hong Kong, which will reduce customs clearance and transportation costs, enhance market response efficiency, achieve real-time control over output and quality, and effectively deliver our products to both domestic and overseas markets.”

Witnessed by Hon Sunny TAN, Chairman of HKPC, Mr Mohamed D. BUTT, Executive Director of HKPC, Mr Raymond SHAN, General Manager of the New Industrialisation Division of HKPC, Mr Louis WU, Chief Executive Officer of JinTech Semiconductor, Mr Frankie KUO, Chief Sales Officer of JinTech Semiconductor, the MoU was signed by Mr Edmond LAI, Chief Digital Officer of HKPC, and Mr Robert WANG, Chairman of JinTech Semiconductor, at JinTech Semiconductor’s newly established advanced semiconductor memory testing factory in Hong Kong.

Semiconductor grading and packaging play a vital role in the global semiconductor supply chain. As an advanced market-oriented R&D institute, HKPC will actively support the HKSAR Government’s goal to develop Hong Kong into a multinational supply chain management centre by providing innovative supply chain solutions. HKPC will promote industries heading towards the high-end, smart and green development, support the upgrade and transform of the industry through advanced technology, FutureSkills training and Government funding, to implement more smart Microfactories with Hong Kong characteristics, attract top-notch talent and enterprises to boost Hong Kong’s overall competitiveness and achieve new productive forces.

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Witnessed by Hon Sunny TAN, Chairman of HKPC (Third from left in the back row), Mr Mohamed D. BUTT, Executive Director of HKPC (Second from left in the back row), Mr Raymond SHAN, General Manager of the New Industrialisation Division of HKPC (First from left in the back row), Mr Louis WU, Chief Executive Officer of JinTech Semiconductor (Second from right in the back row), Mr Frankie KUO, Chief Sales Officer of JinTech Semiconductor (First from right in the back row), the MoU was signed by Mr Edmond LAI (Left in the front row), Chief Digital Officer of HKPC, and Mr Robert WANG, Chairman of JinTech Semiconductor (Right in the front row), at JinTech Semiconductor's newly established advanced semiconductor memory testing factory in Hong Kong.