The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the National Development and Reform Commission have jointly released the "15th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Electronic Information Manufacturing Industry." The plan sets a target for 2030 where China's electronic information manufacturing sector achieves significant high-quality development milestones, cementing its pivotal role in the global industrial landscape.

The industry's stature within the broader industrial framework is set to be further elevated, with revenue for companies above a designated size targeting a breakthrough of 30 trillion yuan. The initiative aims to cultivate a collection of superior technologies and products spanning integrated circuits, advanced computing, consumer electronics, foundational electronics, and energy electronics. Innovation efficiency is expected to see substantial gains, with research and development investment intensity reaching 3.5%. Concurrently, the plan anticipates a major surge in computing power supply capacity and a significant rise in the adoption rate of new-generation smart terminals.

Where to begin tackling the 30 trillion yuan goal

The blueprint outlines 17 key tasks across four primary domains. The first domain focuses on fortifying the foundational capabilities of the industry. This involves driving comprehensive breakthroughs across the integrated circuit supply chain, including the creation of high-end chip products like high-performance processors, high-density memory, and high-reliability analog mixed-signal chips. Efforts will also elevate manufacturing capabilities, refining mature process nodes and enhancing advanced process technologies, alongside promoting advancements in advanced packaging and testing. The plan also calls for improving the quality and upgrading the wide-bandgap semiconductor sector and advancing the industrialization of ultra-wide bandgap semiconductors like gallium oxide and diamond. A sustained push will bolster the supply of critical equipment, materials, and components, accelerate the development of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools and Intellectual Property (IP) cores, and drive breakthroughs in technologies like 3D integration.

Enhancing competitiveness in electronic components and materials is another pillar. The strategy seeks to foster the coordinated growth of electronic components and materials, targeting demands from sectors such as artificial intelligence, next-generation information and communication, aerospace, and new smart terminals. The focus is on swiftly overcoming hurdles to produce a range of mature, reliable, and widely applicable "off-the-shelf" foundational products and steering components towards specifications that are high-frequency, high-speed, highly integrated, and highly reliable. This includes pushing for breakthroughs in high-performance electronic functional materials, packaging and assembly materials, and process aids, while enhancing product quality stability and reliability to secure support for complete systems.

The plan also prioritizes accelerating innovation and application in smart sensors, enhancing capabilities in technologies like Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), and strengthening the supply capacity of electronic special equipment and measuring instruments. A dedicated initiative is planned to advance the development of electronic special equipment and instruments, exploring frontiers in high-bandwidth, terahertz, and quantum precision measurement. This includes leveraging first (set) insurance compensation mechanisms and government procurement to broaden the application of domestic equipment.

Furthermore, the groundwork for the optoelectronics industry will be consolidated. Technical breakthroughs in core optoelectronics processes are encouraged, including the development and iteration of simulation design software for photonics and electro-optical co-design. This involves establishing common process platforms for micro-nano processing and optoelectronic integrated manufacturing, and strengthening the supply of optical generation, processing, and sensing components. The plan aims to deepen the integration of photonics technology into key sectors like AI, new communications, and industrial manufacturing.

Beyond the core technology base, the plan's second domain shifts focus to enhancing competitiveness across electronic systems. This includes strengthening the resilience of key industry chains by fostering "single champion" enterprises and specialized SMEs. A major thrust is building a comprehensive advanced computing ecosystem, which entails tackling technical bottlenecks in computing architecture, data storage, high-speed interconnection, and software-hardware collaboration. The plan calls for establishing national major science and technology projects for advanced computing to boost the supply of root technologies, key components, and computing equipment. It further outlines constructing a heterogeneous collaborative computing system to meet massive intelligent computing needs and developing compute micro-architectures for AI model training and inference. Breakthroughs in key technologies like distributed computing, high-bandwidth memory pools, cloud-edge-device collaboration, all-optical switching, and liquid cooling are also targeted. The approach encourages integrating computing, storage, network, and power resources, and exploring new paradigms such as in-memory computing, quantum computing, photonic computing, brain-like computing, and space computing.

Consumer electronics innovation is set to accelerate with a focus on smart, integrated upgrades for mobile phones, personal computers, audio-visual electronics, VR/AR, and wearables. Key technology areas like spatial computing, display optics, and perceptual interaction will be developed. A coordinated push across the supply chain will enhance capabilities in key components, software tools, and terminal accessories. The plan also emphasizes user experience, promoting "audio-visual friendly" products and the adaptation of consumer electronics for elderly users, while expanding into fields like culture, tourism, education, and healthcare. Software-hardware synergy will be reinforced by accelerating the adoption of domestic operating systems like OpenHarmony, building a full-stack AI software and hardware ecosystem based on computing, and promoting the R&D and industrialization of RISC-V chips. Established strengths in communication equipment will be solidified, including advancements in satellite communication and new short-range wireless technologies. The plan also calls for intelligent upgrades in industrial control equipment and promoting the high-end application of laser and radar equipment in emerging areas like intelligent driving and the low-altitude economy.

Cultivating fresh growth poles

A third domain is dedicated to cultivating new growth drivers. The plan aims to consolidate advantages in the energy electronics sector by promoting the coordinated development of technologies like "PV, storage, terminals, and ICT." This involves advancing the iteration of high-efficiency crystalline silicon PV cells, developing next-generation technologies like perovskite tandem cells, and expanding "PV+" application scenarios. It also seeks to enhance the full-chain innovation capability of new batteries, consolidating the competitive advantage of lithium batteries while continually advancing the industrialization of solid-state, sodium-ion, and flow batteries. Support will be provided for their application in smart terminals, EVs, aviation, smart robots, and engineering machinery.

The development of the spatiotemporal information industry is also a key focus, with plans to deepen the scale application of BeiDou navigation, transitioning from industry-specific use to universal adoption. The plan supports technological breakthroughs in BeiDou chips and algorithms and promotes the integrated development of BeiDou navigation, satellite internet, and space remote sensing. Strategic investments will be made in satellite internet and expanding application scenarios for direct-to-satellite terminals.

A core element of the plan is solidifying the hardware foundation for artificial intelligence. This includes supporting technological innovation and product iteration for AI chips, enhancing synergy between AI chips and complete machine products, and developing end-side inference devices and chips for applications like embodied intelligence and autonomous driving. The plan outlines promoting the implementation of standards for high-speed interconnect bus protocols like CLink and strengthening the adaptation of AI chips with large models and databases. Continuous upgrades are expected for AI-capable phones, PCs, smart glasses, and other products, along with efforts to enhance key end-side technologies and integrate intelligent agents with terminal products. A grading standard system for AI terminal intelligence will be established to support their large-scale application.

Accelerating the integration of digital and intelligent technologies across various industries is another priority. This domain focuses on supplying electronic information products and solutions to meet the demands of smart cities, intelligent agriculture, autonomous driving, smart healthcare, the low-altitude economy, and commercial spaceflight. The goal is deep integration of electronic technologies with industry applications, driving high-end and professional growth in sector-specific electronics.

Building a sustainable path forward

The fourth domain centers on enhancing the industry's sustainable development capabilities. The plan calls for a comprehensive boost to independent innovation capabilities, including building high-value patent portfolios in key tech areas like integrated circuits and BeiDou, establishing patent pools, and promoting cross-licensing. The electronic information manufacturing standards system will be continuously improved, and a multi-tiered national strategic scientific and technological force within the sector will be cultivated. Innovation platforms like "Xinhuo" and manufacturing innovation centers will be elevated, and a network of concept verification platforms and incubators will be established.

Modernized industrial governance capabilities are also on the agenda. The plan involves revising industry standard conditions, coordinating production capacity planning and early warnings, and addressing "involution-style" competition. Industrial security capabilities will be strengthened, with a focus on cyber security and safer lithium battery production. Initiatives will also promote manufacturing quality excellence and service-oriented manufacturing models. To support green and low-carbon transformation, efforts will accelerate the creation of carbon footprint accounting rules and databases for electronic products. Management of waste from lithium batteries and PV modules will be improved, and the high-value, standardized recycling of discarded electronics will be promoted.

Optimizing the regional industrial layout is another strategic component. This includes fostering world-class advanced manufacturing clusters in the electronic information field. Support will be extended to build comprehensive development agglomeration zones in key regions and specialized industrial clusters in specific provinces. National high-tech zones will be encouraged to cultivate new tracks in electronic information, and coordinated innovation networks between parks will be strengthened. The plan supports the orderly domestic transfer of industries to central and western regions while also promoting the industrial culture and heritage of the sector.

Finally, a new pattern of opening-up and international cooperation will be cultivated. This entails leveraging both domestic and international markets and resources to stabilize intermediate goods trade and expand high-end product exports. International exchange activities will be supported to enhance the global influence of China's electronic information brands. There will be active participation in international standardization to promote Chinese standards globally and enhance the internationalization of supporting testing and certification services. The plan also emphasizes strengthening capabilities for risk assessment and response to external suppression, improving counter-sanctions and anti-long-arm jurisdiction measures within the industry.