Huawei, the leading Chinese tech company and the world’s largest telecommunications equipment supplier, has built a new research and development center in Shanghai. This comes as the company faces pressure from U.S. sanctions aimed at stopping its advanced technology efforts.
The Huawei Lianqiu Lake R&D Center will start operating this year. Huawei invested over 10 billion yuan (about $1.4 billion) in this center. The Qingpu district government says this center will help Huawei make big advances in 5G, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence. Nearly 30,000 people will work there to develop chips, wireless networks, and internet technology.
Huawei’s investment shows its commitment to staying a global tech leader despite challenges. The large number of workers and big investment highlight the project’s importance to Huawei.
FACING U.S. SANCTIONS
The U.S. added Huawei to a trade entity list in 2019. This limits Huawei’s access to key technology and parts from American companies. In May, the U.S. stopped special licenses that allowed Intel and Qualcomm to sell to Huawei. Despite these issues, Huawei keeps innovating. It recently launched the Mate 60 Pro smartphone with the advanced Kirin 9000s chip.
These sanctions are forcing Huawei to become more self-reliant. By focusing on its own research and development, Huawei aims to reduce its dependence on foreign technology. This strategy is vital as the company navigates tough global challenges.
HUAWEI CHIP TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES AND CHALLENGES
The Kirin 9000s chip uses advanced 7-nanometer processing technology. China’s top chipmaker, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC), made this chip. This is a big win for Huawei and a setback for U.S. sanctions. However, reports say SMIC used technology from U.S. companies Applied Materials Inc. and Lam Research Corp. to make these chips. SMIC had this technology before the U.S. stopped companies from selling advanced chips and equipment to Chinese firms in October 2022.
source:https://www.gizchina.com/2024/07/19/huaweis-bold-move-new-billion-dollar-chip-center-amid-u-s-sanctions/