Recently, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) jointly issued the "15th Five-Year Plan for the Development of Electronic Information Manufacturing Industry," proposing that by 2030, the operating revenue of enterprises above designated size will exceed CNY 30 trillion, the R&D investment intensity of the industry will reach 3.5%, and 17 key tasks will be deployed around "building foundations, improving quality, fostering innovation, and enhancing governance." A careful reading of the full text reveals a clear signal: wide bandgap semiconductors, represented by Silicon Carbide (SiC), are transitioning from an "optional path" for industrial upgrading to an indispensable "building block" in the "foundation-building" phase of the electronic information manufacturing industry.
Strategic Elevation: From "Following and Running Alongside" to "Main Force in Foundation Building"
In the first task of "Strengthening Industrial Foundation Capabilities," the Plan deploys "promoting the quality improvement and upgrading of the wide bandgap semiconductor industry" alongside high-end chips, advanced processes, and advanced packaging. In the special column on "Industrialization and Upgrading of Energy Electronics," it lists "developing advanced power semiconductors" as a core direction. These two focal points precisely align with the global technological trend of semiconductors shifting towards wide bandgap materials, and also address the urgent demand for high-efficiency power devices in China's energy transition and intelligent manufacturing.
With its high voltage resistance, high-temperature tolerance, high-frequency operation, and low loss, Silicon Carbide (SiC) is the core device for achieving energy efficiency leaps in New Energy Vehicle (NEV) main drive inverters, AI (Artificial Intelligence) computing center power supplies, photovoltaic and energy storage converters, and rail transit traction systems. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China's SiC industry has completed the critical leap from following to running alongside. As one of the few domestic vertically integrated IDM enterprises with independent capabilities across the entire chain of chip design, wafer manufacturing, module packaging, and drive applications, Basic Semiconductor (Shenzhen Basic Semiconductor Co., Ltd.) is both a witness and a driver of this process.
We are well aware that wide bandgap semiconductors are not a simple replacement for silicon-based devices, but rather a full-chain transformation involving materials, processes, packaging, drives, and system applications. This path requires heavy investment, long cycles, and high trial-and-error costs. However, the Plan makes us even more convinced that the technology and capacity in key links must be held in our own hands, so that the security and resilience of the industrial chain can have a true foundation.
Scenario-Driven: From the Laboratory to the Real "Testing Ground"
The Plan emphasizes "promoting the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation" and "using scenario applications to guide the high-end and specialized development of industry electronics." The value of SiC power devices has never been about "isolated self-admiration" in the laboratory; its vitality lies in getting on vehicles, entering networks, and going into factories—the main drive inverters of NEVs are the testing ground, the power conversion systems for photovoltaic and energy storage are the testing ground, and the currently booming power supplies for AI data centers are even more so the testing ground.
In recent years, Basic Semiconductor's SiC products have been mass-produced and applied in fields such as AI computing, electric vehicles, wind and solar energy storage, rail transit, industrial control, and smart grids. The introduction of each scenario is a force driving technology iteration; every piece of customer feedback pushes for the re-optimization of processes and performance. The positive cycle formed by industrial demand and technological progress has further strengthened our strategic positioning to take root in SiC power semiconductors and serve the two main battlefields of energy electronics and AI computing infrastructure.
Practical Foundation Building: Basic Semiconductor's Actions for the "15th Five-Year Plan"
In July this year, Basic Semiconductor was listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (HKEX), becoming the first SiC semiconductor enterprise under Chapter 18C of the HKEX. The funds raised are primarily directed towards production line expansion and new product R&D. Standing at a new starting point, the release of the Plan is not only an encouragement but also a bugle call. Facing the "15th Five-Year Plan," we will focus on three things:
First, unswervingly adhere to the IDM strategy. We will continuously advance production line construction and process iteration, firmly holding the core capabilities of the manufacturing link in our own hands, steadily improving yield rates and capacity, and providing solid supply for large-scale applications.
Second, focus on the two main tracks. Facing AI computing and NEVs, we will accelerate the R&D of high-end products and customer introduction, continuously expand application scenarios such as consumer electronics, photovoltaic and energy storage, industrial control, and smart grids, form a complete product matrix covering high, medium, and low power, and respond to downstream demand with better performance and cost.
Third, persist in open cooperation. We will actively participate in the formulation of national and industry standards, strengthen collaborative innovation with upstream and downstream enterprises, build an industrial ecosystem community, and enable more partners to share growth on the track of wide bandgap semiconductors.
The curtain of the "15th Five-Year Plan" has been raised, and the CNY 30 trillion industrial blueprint is inspiring. The role of Basic Semiconductor is very clear: to be a reliable "Silicon Carbide" building block in the process of strengthening industrial foundation capabilities. Our generation of semiconductor professionals has caught the golden window where localization development and global energy transformation overlap. Only by digging deep and delivering results can we live up to the times. Basic Semiconductor is willing to work together with industrial chain partners to contribute the solid strength of wide bandgap semiconductors to the high-quality development of the electronic information manufacturing industry, and to the construction of a manufacturing powerhouse and a cyber powerhouse.
Author | He Weiwei, President of Shenzhen Basic Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
Editor | Wu Lilin Art Editor | Ma Liya Supervisor | Lian Xiaodong