The 5th Dishui Lake China RISC-V Industry Forum was held in Shanghai's Lin-gang Special Area on Aug 13, bringing together industry leaders to accelerate the commercialization and innovative applications of homegrown RISC-V chips.

The 5th Dishui Lake China RISC-V Industry Forum is held in Lin-gang on Aug 13. [Photo/Shanghai Observer]

RISC-V is an open and free instruction set architecture that defines how software interacts with hardware. Amid the ongoing global technological revolution and industrial transformation, it emerges as a key foundation for an AI-driven era of ubiquitous intelligent connectivity, said Yu Wenjie, deputy head of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, while speaking at the forum. 

Ten RISC-V chips from enterprises including Lanxin Computing, SpacemiT, TOPSfuture, ESWIN Computing, Allwinner Technology, StarFive, Timesintelli Technology, and WUQI Microelectronics were promoted during the event, highlighting China's advanced IC design capabilities. 

Since its inception, the forum has made Lin-gang its home and served as a platform for bringing homegrown RISC-V innovations to market. More than 40 RISC-V chips have so far been promoted, around 90 percent of which have entered mass production and found applications in consumer electronics, automotive electronics and industrial control.

As the forum's influence has grown, so has Lin-gang's IC industry. Over the past seven years, the number of local IC companies has risen from fewer than 10 to more than 300, while industry output has grown from 300 million yuan ($44.62 million) to over 30 billion yuan. The industrial chain now covers multiple links, including chip design, manufacturing, materials, packaging, testing, and core components.