Upstream and downstream linkage injects "core" power into the automotive industry

With the development of the "new four modernizations" of automobiles, autonomous driving chips will also become a new track for overtaking in the field of automotive chips. Under the current challenge of automotive chip shortage, accelerating the breakthrough innovation of AI chips is a severe reality that the automotive industry cannot avoid.

Promoting the linkage between automotive electronic chips and downstream application customers, promoting the development of artificial intelligence chips, aiming at the national chip strategy to strengthen youth science and technology education... At the two sessions in Shanghai held recently, issues such as automotive chips, talent education and industry linkage in the integrated circuit field have become the "core" issues that the NPC deputies are concerned about.

The global automotive industry is facing a serious "chip shortage"

At the beginning of 2021, the "chip shortage" problem in the global automotive industry has become more serious, and many car companies have announced that their car production will decline due to the shortage of semiconductors.

"Chips can be called the nerves of a car. The number of chips used in a whole vehicle has reached more than 500. Core systems in the car, such as the electronic stability program system (ESP) and electronic control unit (ECU), all rely on them," said Shen Weiguo, Party Secretary, Executive Director and General Manager of Shanghai Science and Technology Venture Capital (Group) Co., Ltd.

With the popularity of new energy vehicles, as power devices that can improve the electrification performance of vehicles, chip capabilities such as automotive microcontrollers (MCUs) and sensors have become an important part of the core competitiveness of automakers. Companies' purchases of chips in the field of new energy vehicles will be nearly double that of fuel vehicles, with the number of power devices alone increasing by more than 100%. The demand for intelligence and networking required by future smart cars will make the proportion of automotive AI chips, image processing chips, communication chips, security chips, etc. in the automotive manufacturing industry supply chain increasingly higher. Automotive electronic chips will become the "lifeline" in the future automotive manufacturing industry, determining the speed and height of industrial development.

Automotive chips need to accelerate breakthrough innovation

It is estimated that the global automotive semiconductor market revenue will reach approximately US$42.8 billion in 2024. By 2030, the entire in-vehicle AI chip market will reach US$100 billion. China's chip status may affect the future of Chinese auto brands.

With the development of the "new four modernizations" of automobiles, autonomous driving chips will also become a new track for overtaking in the field of automotive chips. With each step forward in the level of autonomous driving, computing power needs to be greatly improved, and traditional chips can no longer meet the current computing power needs. Industry experts believe that domestic automotive AI chips and operating systems only have a time window of about three years in the future. By 2023, if any "player" in any industry track cannot achieve a top three market share in the field of smart cars, it will basically lose its ticket to the finals.

Under the current challenge of automotive chip shortage, accelerating the breakthrough innovation of AI chips and carrying out the research and development and commercialization process of the new generation of L4/L5 automotive AI chips are serious and realistic issues that the automotive industry cannot avoid.

Shen Weiguo believes that the development of automotive electronic chips must rely on the linkage of upstream and downstream. The definition of automotive electronic chip products depends on customer needs, and its verification also requires the full cooperation of customers. Therefore, the early development requires close integration of the supply side and the application side, and joint large-scale investment. Foreign companies have gained first-mover advantages through upstream and downstream linkage. Domestic chip companies are still in the initial stage and need strong support from clients such as car companies and module companies.

Build a high-quality chip science and technology education system

The chip is a multidisciplinary cross-integration based on basic subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and information. It covers a wide range of content and can meet the personalized development needs of different students. It can effectively improve students' scientific thinking, creativity, and experimental skills. Its application-oriented subject characteristics can guide students to apply what they have learned, inspire their interests, and drive and promote the development of basic education.

Yao Wei, deputy to the Shanghai People's Congress and director of the research department of the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, found in actual research that as integrated circuits became a first-level discipline, universities such as Shanghai University also began to strengthen the construction of chip-related disciplines. However, there is still a lack of chip education, talent discovery and cultivation mechanisms for young people, which is not conducive to the sustainable development of Shanghai's chip industry.

It is understood that at present, only a small number of universities or research institutions with artificial intelligence majors participate in the science and technology education that enters the school-based curriculum of Shanghai. However, the quality of current science and technology education content is uneven and cannot be supervised. Schools are restricted by conditions such as teachers, technology, funds and venues. They cannot achieve high requirements such as interdisciplinary cross-border, education and social integration, and process evaluation by their own strength. It is urgent to expand social resources and strengthen cooperation with professional institutions to jointly explore an education and teaching model that conforms to the characteristics of the discipline, the requirements of the times and the laws of student growth.

In this regard, Yao Wei proposed that we should strengthen the integration of science and education, and that authoritative research institutions, outstanding subject teachers and professional course compilation teams should join forces to jointly create a high-quality chip science and technology education system.