Featured Introduction

In-depth analysis Four major root causes continue to exacerbate the vulnerability of the global semiconductor supply chain.

The road ahead is long and arduous. The pros and cons of global collaboration versus localized strategies—China’s path to developing high-end domestic brands urgently needs a breakthrough.

The Way to Break the Impasse Supply chain resilience requires a shift from being a follower to becoming a leader.

Break the deadlock with one's own actions. Zhongwei Xing is building the cornerstone of China’s domestic semiconductor industry chain through independent and controllable technologies.

On November 27, 2025, the “OFweek 2025 Engineer Series Online Conference—Semiconductor Technology Online Meeting,” hosted by OFweek Electronic Engineering Network, was successfully held in the cloud.

At the conference, Chen Long, Director of the Semiconductor Industry at STEP Zhongweixing, delivered a keynote speech titled “Resilience of the Semiconductor Supply Chain: Balancing Global Collaboration with Localized Deployment,” offering an in-depth analysis of the severe challenges currently facing the global semiconductor supply chain and exploring potential solutions to break the deadlock.

At the outset of his speech, Chen Long pointed out that the vulnerability of the global semiconductor supply chain stems primarily from four interconnected root causes.

The trade-off between efficiency and safety, as well as the pros and cons of global collaboration versus localized strategies.

When exploring ways to break the deadlock, Chen Long compared the advantages and disadvantages of global collaboration versus localized strategies.

From EDA software and IP at the design end, to advanced manufacturing processes in wafer fabrication, and further to high-end equipment and critical materials, global supply-chain nodes are highly concentrated in just a few overseas countries and regions. As a result, should any one of these nodes encounter problems—whether due to natural disasters, public health crises, or geopolitical tensions—a “bullwhip effect” can be triggered, throwing the global chip supply into chaos.

Localization strategies help ensure a secure and controllable supply chain, prevent "bottlenecks," and boost the development of local industries. However, they also face risks such as massive investment requirements, a shortage of skilled talent, and the potential for falling behind in global technological advancements.

The key to breaking the deadlock lies in building a resilient supply chain through dynamic equilibrium.

Faced with the dilemma between efficiency and safety, neither pure globalization nor pure localization is anymore the optimal solution. The key to the future lies in finding a dynamic balance between the two and building a resilient supply chain system. Chen Long proposed a phased, systematic implementation strategy:

Short-term Concentrate resources and build an absolute competitive edge, focusing on mature processes and specialized technologies to ensure the stability of our core business.

Mid-term Build a healthy industrial ecosystem and vigorously promote the verification and iterative development of domestically produced EDA, IP, equipment, and materials on production lines, thereby establishing a closed-loop system of “application-feedback-optimization.”

Long-term We will focus on cutting-edge technologies, leverage emerging architectures to build a self-reliant and controllable industrial ecosystem, and strive to make the transition from follower to leader.

Break the deadlock with our own efforts and build a solid foundation for domestically produced technologies through self-reliance and controllability.

The semiconductor industry is the “grain” of modern industry. Although China’s industrial chain is complete, the domestic production rate for high-end segments remains below 30%. In the complex industrial landscape characterized by intertwined globalization and geopolitical factors, a strategy to localize semiconductor equipment is of great strategic significance.

1. Industrial convergence

The wafer-handling robot serves as the “artery” connecting critical process equipment such as lithography, etching, and thin-film deposition. Achieving domestic production of these robots will effectively enhance the resilience and security of the entire industrial chain.

2. Industry Services

Domestic enterprises can offer more competitive cost solutions and provide localized technical services and supply-chain support with rapid response capabilities. This significantly reduces equipment procurement and maintenance costs for domestic wafer fabs and shortens delivery cycles.

3. Data Security

Domestic equipment suppliers can collaborate more deeply with China’s semiconductor manufacturing enterprises (FABs) to develop solutions, achieving closer “equipment-process” alignment. Meanwhile, end-to-end domestic production ensures the security of data transmission and equipment control, thereby mitigating potential risks of external supply disruptions and information leaks.

As a company named Zhongweixing, which is centered on domestically developed and independently researched technologies in the field of industrial automation, we continuously pay close attention to the development and security of China’s domestic industrial technology ecosystem, ensuring its autonomy and controllability. Faced with the challenges in the development of domestically produced semiconductors, we are stepping forward as a game-changer, driving the upstream and downstream sectors of the industry chain to establish closed-loop systems for critical technologies.

From motion control technology to semiconductor wafer-handling robots, Zhongweixing, leveraging its 23 years of profound “internal strength,” has precisely chosen wafer-handling robots as its entry point and strategic cornerstone, thereby positioning itself in the domestic semiconductor equipment market.

Currently, Zhongweixing has launched more than ten self-developed robotic products specifically for the semiconductor wafer handling and inspection processes, and offers deeply customized, locally tailored, and rapidly responsive services. By establishing a collaborative innovation chain spanning “core components—complete equipment—production-line applications,” Zhongweixing is injecting crucial momentum into the development of a healthy, domestically produced semiconductor industry ecosystem that is independent, controllable, secure, and efficient.

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