At the recently concluded 2025 Electronics & Semiconductor Industry Innovation Development Conference and International Electronic Circuit (Greater Bay Area) Exhibition, JLC PCB's showcase of 64-layer ultra-high-layer PCBs and HDI (High-Density Interconnect) boards stole the spotlight.

This marks not just another product iteration but a milestone in China's hardware innovation infrastructure reaching new heights. From foldable smartphones to wireless earbuds, smartwatches to humanoid robots, hardware innovation is undergoing an efficiency revolution akin to "cellular division."

The "supply chain race" in end markets signals a profound transformation—China's hardware sector stands at a tipping point, poised for a wave of groundbreaking "iPhone moments." This shift is driven by systemic changes in foundational infrastructure, talent ecosystems, and evolving market demands.

Companies like JLC PCB are pivotal as "pathmakers" and "accelerators," turning once-distant hardware concepts into tangible consumer realities.

**Innovation Translates to Market Growth** Hardware innovation, once synonymous with slowness and bulkiness, has been revolutionized. Over a decade ago, PCB prototyping faced three major hurdles: difficulty, high costs, and long lead times. JLC PCB's innovative "group-buy" model slashed prototyping costs from hundreds to tens of RMB and reduced delivery times from weeks to as fast as 12 hours, democratizing innovation.

By end-2024, JLC PCB's registered users exceeded 7.11 million, up 29% YoY, driving order volume to over 17.8 million, a 22% increase. Lower R&D costs have unlocked new consumer markets. For instance, Shenzhen-based AI firm Shifang Ronghai reported explosive demand for PCBs in its smart devices, with orders surpassing 100,000 units on JLC PCB's platform.

While IDC data shows global smartphone shipments grew just 3.2% YoY in Q3 2025—a decade-low—AI hardware in vertical niches surged 13.4% to RMB 1.102 trillion, with consumer AI hardware exceeding RMB 400 billion. Against this backdrop, JLC PCB posted 2024 revenue of nearly RMB 8 billion (up 18.55% YoY) and net profit of RMB 998 million (up 35.19% YoY), with three-year revenue and profit CAGRs of 11.91% and 32.04%, respectively.

**Raising the Innovation Ceiling** As electronics evolve toward "extreme miniaturization + high performance," basic prototyping no longer suffices for AI, 5G, and other advanced needs. Ultra-high-layer PCBs and HDI boards are now the "entry tickets" for high-end applications in aerospace, 5G comms, medical electronics, servers, and data centers.

JLC PCB's newly launched 34- to 64-layer PCBs feature thicknesses up to 5.0mm, aspect ratios of 20:1, and minimum trace widths of 3.5mil, using Tg170 high-temperature substrates for complex circuit integration. Its HDI boards support 1-3 tiers with 0.075mm laser-drilled micro-vias, boosting wiring density for compact designs.

These technologies enable once-"impossible" designs like iPhone motherboards and Tesla FSD computers. However, mastering them is no small feat—64-layer PCBs demand precision in alignment, signal integrity, and high aspect ratios. JLC PCB tackles this with vacuum lamination at 180°C/350psi and "step pressing," achieving under 0.05mm layer misalignment.

Despite their sophistication, JLC PCB maintains its ethos: "premium yet affordable, fast and reliable." Its ultra-high-layer PCB prototypes ship in just 8 days (twice as fast as peers) at roughly half the market price. This democratization of high-end innovation fuels growth in edge computing, medical devices, and industrial controls.

**Youth-Led Entrepreneurship Boom** If infrastructure innovation is the "highway," young talent is the "sports car" speeding ahead. Startups like Unitree Robotics—founded by university graduates—exemplify this trend. Many young robot entrepreneurs cut their teeth on JLC PCB’s EDA software and prototyping services during their student days.

Humanoid robots, integrating mechanics, electronics, and AI, demand compact controllers with high compute density and energy efficiency. JLC PCB’s end-to-end support—from campus projects to commercial ventures—has accelerated breakthroughs. Unitree’s early prototypes, developed with JLC PCB’s PCB sampling and assembly services, achieved five iterations in three months. Similarly, YouiBot’s humanoid "Ling Shu" went from design to walking in 25 days.

This "campus-to-corporate" pipeline has spurred exponential industry growth. As of August 2025, China hosts 958,000 robotics firms, with 153,000 new registrations in 2025’s first seven months (up 43.81% YoY). Venture capital reflects this momentum: 610 robotics deals in 2025’s first three quarters, doubling YoY, with Q3 alone seeing 243 deals (up 102%).

JLC PCB’s EDA software is now taught in over 1,000 universities, while its "two free monthly PCB prototypes" program has supported 10 million+ experiments. At Shenzhen’s 2025 Geek Camp, 85 participants delivered 18 validated projects in five days using JLC PCB’s platform.

The verdict is clear: China’s hardware future hinges not on isolated advancements but on ecosystem-wide innovation and talent cultivation. With barriers vanishing, the next world-changing hardware idea could emerge from any engineer’s desk—and JLC PCB stands ready to bring it to life.