Intel opens chip innovation hub in Nanshan, China

Intel has opened an invention hub successful China to thief section exertion startups, contempt nan Biden administration's crackdown intended to forestall China from processing precocious technologies.

Intel confirmed to The Register successful a connection this greeting that nan portion was opened astatine nan play successful nan metropolis of Shenzhen successful confederate China, and is intended to attraction connected artificial intelligence (AI), spot improvement and separator computing, among different technologies.

The halfway would usage "Intel's existing technologies and products to continuously alteration nan exertion innovations of our partners and customers pinch an unfastened ecosystem, pinch a attraction connected applications successful artificial intelligence (AI), spot applications and separator computing etc to reside nan section marketplace demand."

The South China Morning Post said nan territory authorities was aiming to usage nan business to turn nan Intel Greater Bay Area Innovation Center into a world "innovation highland." Local news tract Now Shenzhen, meanwhile, reported that astir 60 Intel partners were astatine nan opening ceremonial of nan Innovation Center, and described it arsenic an invention speech level jointly built by nan Nanshan District authorities and Intel, and operated and managed by a institution called Shenzhen Extreme Vision Technology.

The elder vice president and chair of Intel China, Dr Rui Wang, is reported to person stated astatine nan opening that nan caller halfway would "work together pinch partners to beforehand much exertion innovations that meet section needs, and thief beforehand nan integrated improvement of emerging industries successful nan Greater Bay Area and crossed nan country."

The move by Intel seems bonzer successful ray of Washington’s progressively strict export controls connected semiconductor exertion to China, and particularly exertion for AI, which nan Biden management has said it fears whitethorn beryllium utilized by nan Chinese military.

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Just a fewer weeks ago, for example, The Register reported that a US legislature sheet was investigating 4 task superior firms, including nan finance limb of chipmaker Qualcomm, complete nan financing of Chinese AI, semiconductor and quantum technologies.

"These transactions not only thief finance nan improvement of exertion that is straight contrary to US nationalist interests, but besides consequence transferring captious know-how and expertise from nan US to nan PRC," said nan sheet said astatine nan time.

And conscionable past week, US lawmakers sitting connected a Select Committee connected nan Chinese Communist Party based on that existent waste and acquisition restrictions were insufficient to forestall "clever engineering" to circumvent regulations, and called for moreover tighter controls.

But Intel is 1 of nan Silicon Valley companies that are concerned by nan effect that waste and acquisition restrictions whitethorn person connected their profits, and CEO Pat Gelsinger was in Washington to talk nan matter pinch officials past month, pursuing his return from a travel to China wherever he is said to person visited nan company's spot packaging and trial works successful Chengdu, among different sites.

Meanwhile, nan US and its European friends are now said to beryllium concerned astir China's moves to measurement up accumulation of semiconductors manufactured utilizing much mature process nodes.

According to Bloomberg, nan interest is that China whitethorn beryllium trying to predominate nan marketplace for mundane semiconductors made utilizing 28nm process exertion aliases moreover older, driving rival producers from different nations retired of business by flooding nan marketplace pinch inexpensive chips. In this way, it could foster limitations connected China-based proviso chains that it whitethorn past activity to exploit.

While nan EU and US some person initiatives to boost home semiconductor manufacturing to trim reliance connected Asian suppliers, companies present whitethorn beryllium reluctant to put successful accommodation if they person to compete against heavy subsidized Chinese factories.

However, Bloomberg cites anonymous sources said to beryllium acquainted pinch nan matter, and reports that spokespeople from US National Security Council and nan European Commission declined to comment. ®