allonlinenovel Chapter 131 An Invitation from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology
Chapter 131 An Invitation from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology
2020 8 Month 20 Day.
On the afternoon of the same day Su Chen returned to Shenzhen from Suzhou, he received an unexpected phone call.
The caller was Xiaolin, the secretary of Chen Zhiyuan, the deputy director of the Science and Technology Innovation Committee.
"Hello, Mr. Su. Deputy Director Chen asked me to pass on a message to you."
"Please speak."
"The Electronic Information Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is preparing a symposium on the localization of MEMS sensors. The meeting is scheduled for August 25th in Beijing."
"Ministry of Industry and Information Technology?" Su Chen was slightly taken aback.
"Yes," Xiaolin said with a hint of excitement. "From what we understand, this symposium was of a very high level. In addition to being chaired by leaders from the Electronic Information Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, it also invited representatives from several research institutions, including the Institute of Microelectronics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Department of Microelectronics and Nanoelectronics of Tsinghua University, and the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology."
"In addition, there are several domestic MEMS-related companies—Goertek, AAC Technologies, and several small MEMS contract manufacturers."
"certainly--"
Xiao Lin paused for a moment, then said, "Hongyuan was specially invited. Deputy Director Chen said that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology specifically invited General Manager Su to attend in person."
Su Chen remained silent for a moment.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology specifically invited them.
He knew exactly what this meant.
The previous special support plan from the Science and Technology Innovation Commission was already a decision made at the Shenzhen municipal level. Now, the special symposium held by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology—that's attention from a national ministry level.
From local to central levels, Hongyuan's MEMS self-reliance strategy is attracting increasing attention from higher levels.
"I understand. Please tell Deputy Director Chen that I will definitely attend."
"Okay. Also, Deputy Director Chen asked me to remind you—"
Xiao Lin's tone became serious: "This symposium is not just about exchanging ideas. From what we understand, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is currently developing a national-level development plan for the MEMS sensor industry. This symposium may be part of the preliminary research for that plan."
"Therefore, Deputy Director Chen suggests that you prepare a detailed report, including the overall strategic layout of Hongyuan MEMS, its technology roadmap, funding plan, talent reserves, and so on."
"Understood. Thank you, Kobayashi."
After hanging up the phone, Su Chen leaned back in his office chair and thought for a long time.
A national-level development plan for the MEMS sensor industry.
If this is true, it means that MEMS autonomy will rise from a company's strategic action to a part of national industrial policy.
Hongyuan is currently the only company in China that has simultaneously deployed its resources in both MEMS design and manufacturing.
Its place in this plan is self-evident.
Su Chen thought for a moment, then picked up his phone and dialed Zhou Ming's number:
"Zhou Ming, I need you to do something for me."
"Please go ahead, Mr. Su."
"Please prepare a report for me. The topic is 'Hongyuan MEMS Sensor Self-Reliance Strategy'. The content should include—"
"First, the current status and pain points of the domestic MEMS industry."
"Secondly, Hongyuan's complete MEMS supply chain layout—Microchip Sensing at the design end, Hongyuan Microsystems at the manufacturing end, and the Flying Bird platform at the application end."
"Third, the technology roadmap—a two-step strategy: first, benchmark against Bosch; second, surpass Murata."
Fourth, funding plans and policy needs.
Fifth, expected outcomes and timeline.
"Finally—let's add a suggestion section."
"Suggested sections?" Zhou Ming asked curiously.
"Yes. I suggest that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology consider establishing a national major project for MEMS sensors to integrate MEMS R&D resources nationwide. This includes not only Hongyuan, but also all resources from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tsinghua University, Goertek, AAC Technologies, and others."
"We can't just look at our own situation. Self-sufficiency in MEMS cannot be achieved by a single company; it requires collaboration across the entire industry. Hongyuan can be a pioneer, but it needs top-level design at the national level."
After listening, Zhou Ming paused for a second, then said, "President Su, your vision has broadened considerably."
"It's not about having a grand vision," Su Chen smiled. "It's time to think about these things. Hongyuan is no longer just a small flight control company."
"Okay, I'll prepare the materials as soon as possible. When do you need them?"
"Before August 24th. I need to fly to Beijing on the 25th."
"clear."
……
After arranging the report materials, Su Chen did another important thing.
He called Zhao Jiancheng.
"Mr. Zhao, how's it going in Kunshan?"
"The equipment procurement list has been confirmed," Zhao Jiancheng said crisply. "I've contacted SÜSS's distributor for the stepper lithography machine, and we can purchase it domestically. The deep silicon etching (DRIE) equipment is a bit more complicated—currently, Oxford Instruments and SPTS are the best in the world at making DRIE, but their latest models have export control issues."
"Can't buy the latest model?"
"It's not that we can't buy them at all, but the approval process is very long, at least three to four months. And it's uncertain whether it will even be approved," Zhao Jiancheng said. "However, their previous generation model didn't have any regulatory issues, so we can purchase it directly. Its performance is slightly inferior, but after modifications, it should meet our needs."
Are you confident about the modifications?
"Yes," Zhao Jiancheng answered firmly. "I did similar modifications when I was working on micro-sensors. The principles are the same, and I have experience."
"Okay. Let's proceed with this plan. We'll get the usable parts first, and then upgrade them gradually."
"Understood." Zhao Jiancheng added, "By the way, President Su, President Liu Guoqiang has been working incredibly hard these past few days. Since I arrived at Kunshan, he's been practically living with me in the cleanroom every day, researching production line upgrade plans."
"I've spoken with each of his 14 core R&D personnel individually. Their skills are indeed solid, but they lacked a clear direction and sufficient resources. Now that they have both, I believe they can unleash tremendous fighting power."
Su Chen smiled slightly upon hearing this.
"Great. Let me know if you need anything."
"There's one more thing—" Zhao Jiancheng's tone suddenly changed, "President Su, I have someone I'd like to recommend to you."
"who?"
"One of my former colleagues at MicroSensing Semiconductor is named Chen Guodong. He's 52 years old this year. He was previously a senior engineer at the Northern Microelectronics Research Institute, and later worked at MicroSensing Semiconductor as a MEMS process engineer for eight years."
"His expertise lies in MEMS deep silicon etching technology—also known as DRIE. His understanding of wafers is almost intuitive. He can feel wafer defects by touch that others can't detect."
"Touch it with your hands?" Su Chen became interested.
"Yes," Zhao Jiancheng said with respect, "He's a true master craftsman. In the field of MEMS technology, experience is sometimes more important than equipment. With the same equipment, the parameters he adjusts can result in a 20% difference in yield compared to someone else's."
"After MicroSensing Semiconductor's business contracted last year, he returned to his hometown. I contacted him before, and he said he would be willing to come back if a good platform became available."
As Su Chen listened to Zhao Jiancheng's description, images of the highly skilled "level eight craftsmen" from the original novel flashed through his mind—
Although there is no such title as "Level 8 Technician" in the MEMS field, people like Chen Guodong are essentially the MEMS version of Level 8 Technicians.
A craftsman who has honed his skills over thirty years and can judge the quality of wafers by touch alone.
There are probably no more than ten people like this in the whole of China.
"Please." Su Chen said without hesitation, "I'll accept any conditions. Invite him to Kunshan."
Regarding compensation—
"Starting salary of 80 yuan per year, plus a 200 million yuan high-level talent subsidy from the Science and Technology Innovation Commission. We will help him with housing if needed."
"Furthermore—" Su Chen added, "tell him that Hongyuan Microsystems is not just a company, but the starting point for China's self-sufficiency in MEMS. Someone like him can do things here that he couldn't do anywhere else."
"Understood. I'll contact him today."
……
After hanging up with Zhao Jiancheng, Su Chen processed a few more documents.
It was already past six o'clock in the evening.
The setting sun streamed through the office windows, bathing the entire room in a golden glow.
Su Chen leaned back in his chair, mentally reviewing the current overall situation—
On the manufacturing side: Hongyuan Microsystems (formerly Qixin) is upgrading its production line, with Zhao Jiancheng providing on-site guidance. The upgrade is expected to be completed in three to four months. Chen Guodong will be joining the company soon.
On the design side: Microchip Sensing has finalized its two-step roadmap—the first step is to benchmark against Bosch's BMI270 (samples next spring), and the second step is to surpass Murata's SCR1100. Negotiations for a 67% controlling stake are still ongoing.
Transitional solution: The Flybird S1 "six-chip version" has passed testing, the first batch of Bosch BMI270s has arrived, and mass production will begin this week.
Policy-wise: Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission's special support program has been implemented. A symposium on MEMS held by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology was held on August 25th.
Funding: Acquisition of 52 million + equipment upgrade of 20 million + Science and Technology Innovation Committee fund of 30 million = total investment of approximately 100 million. A low-interest loan of 150 million is reserved for future use.
Public opinion: Hongyuan is a symbol of national attention and a beacon of hope for China's self-sufficiency in MEMS. The STMicroelectronics mockery incident actually accelerated public acceptance of Hongyuan.
One link leads to another, with multiple lines of work proceeding simultaneously.
Four years of accumulation have been realized in a concentrated manner within this month.
The system gave him more than just blueprints and data—it gave him a sense of control over the whole situation.
The memories of his past life, the technology unlocked by the system, and the four years of industrial accumulation after his rebirth—these three factors combined allowed Su Chen to maintain his composure when facing a completely new field like MEMS.
But Su Chen also knew that the real battle was yet to come.
The acquisition is complete, the money is in place, the team is ready, and the policies are in place—
But what ultimately determines success or failure is every step of the process on that 4-inch MEMS production line.
Photolithography precision, aspect ratio of deep silicon etching, thin film uniformity, and packaging stress control—
These are the real battlegrounds for MEMS manufacturing.
These problems cannot be solved by simply throwing money at them, by relying on systems or policies.
What's needed are people.
Liu Guoqiang and his 14 core R&D personnel, Zhao Jiancheng's industrialization experience, Chen Guodong's craftsman's intuition, and Li Wei's team's design capabilities—
These people are the real trump card for Hongyuan MEMS's self-reliance.
Su Chen's system can provide blueprints, directions, and that "standard answer."
But it is people who turn the answer into reality.
Fortunately, these people are already in place.
"Let's go." Su Chen stood up, packed his things, and prepared to leave work.
As he reached the door, his phone rang again.
It's an unfamiliar Beijing number.
"Hello, are you Mr. Su Chen, General Manager of Hongyuan Intelligent Technology?"
"It's me."
"Hello Mr. Su, this is Li Ming, Section Chief of the Sensor Division of the Electronic Information Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. There are some details I need to confirm with you regarding the MEMS sensor localization symposium on August 25th."
"Please speak."
"First, let me confirm, you will be attending in person, is that right?"
"Yes."
"Okay." Li Ming's voice was formal. "President Su, let me first inform you of the agenda for this symposium."
"The morning session will feature presentations from various research institutions and companies, while the afternoon will be a roundtable discussion."
"Regarding the presentation segment—we've allocated 20 minutes for Hongyuan's presentation. However—"
Li Ming's tone suddenly changed:
"President Su, there's something I'd like to tell you in advance. The scale of this symposium has been upgraded compared to the original plan."
"What do you mean?"
"It was originally just an internal research meeting of the Electronic Information Department. But your statement to STMicroelectronics a few days ago—'The core carrier of process know-how is people, not time'—has attracted the attention of the department leadership."
"Therefore, a vice minister in charge of this area will also attend this symposium."
Su Chen's eyes flickered slightly.
It is unusual for a vice minister to attend an industry-specific symposium.
"Furthermore—" Li Ming continued, "Academician Zhou from the Institute of Microelectronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has also confirmed his attendance. Academician Zhou is a leading authority in the MEMS field in China. As far as I know, he is very interested in Hongyuan's acquisition of Qixin Microsystems."
"Therefore, I suggest to President Su that the report be as detailed as possible. It should not only cover Hongyuan's own plans, but also offer constructive suggestions for the development of the entire industry."
Su Chen smiled slightly.
The last part of the document that Zhou Ming was helping him prepare was a "recommendation to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to establish a national major project for MEMS sensors".
It seems he's on the right track.
"Don't worry, Section Chief Li. I'll prepare the materials."
"Okay. See you in Beijing on the 25th."
See you on the 25th.
……
After hanging up the phone, Su Chen stood by the office window, looking at the night view of Longhua, Shenzhen.
Thousands of lights.
He thought of the night four years ago when he had just been reborn—standing in Hongyuan's small office, looking out the same night view.
At that time, all he wanted to do was to make a good flight controller to support the company's twenty-odd employees.
And now-
He was about to enter the conference room of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, where he would face leaders at the vice-ministerial level, academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the top talents in the entire industry.
The discussion is no longer about the survival of a single company, but about the industrial layout of a country.
Su Chen took a deep breath.
Four years.
From 28 people to more than 200 people.
From annual revenue of less than 200 million to hundreds of millions.
From flight controllers to platforms, and from platforms to chips.
Every step is a tightrope walk.
Every step I take is met with disbelief.
But he made it through every step of the way.
"Next step," Su Chen said softly.
Then he turned off the lights and walked out of the office.
……
What he didn't know was—
On the same night, in the conference room of Hangxindatong's headquarters in Beijing, an emergency meeting that lasted for more than three hours finally came to an end.
The meeting's conclusions were written in an internal memo that was only three pages long.
The memorandum is titled: "Proposed Solutions from the LDCL Alliance for Hongyuan MEMS Autonomy Strategy".
One passage is highlighted in bold:
"Once Hongyuan MEMS achieves self-sufficiency, it will fundamentally change the power structure of the low-altitude economy industry chain. It is recommended that the alliance accelerate the formulation and promotion of the LDCL 3.0 standard during the window of opportunity before Hongyuan MEMS achieves mass production capabilities, ensuring an irreversible first-mover advantage at the standard level."
"It is also recommended that Hongyuan's MEMS supply chain be subject to more comprehensive monitoring to prevent it from acquiring key equipment and technologies through unconventional channels."
He Zhiqiang frowned as he looked at the memorandum.
He picked up his pen and wrote a line on the blank page of the last page—
"We cannot allow Hongyuan's MEMS production line to survive past next year."
Then I closed the folder.