Chipping away at world's processor market

Homegrown Chinese chipmakers aim to increase their presence in a variety of industrial products as data security becomes a priority.

Based in Beijing, Loongson is at the forefront of these ambitious, expansion plans.

The brand name for the country's first general-purpose microprocessor with intellectual property rights has been eyeing a wider commercial application for its products in smart gadgets, which track industrial production.

Unlike United States-based chip giant Intel Corp, which has a dominant position in the personal computer sector, Loongson is aiming to build a reputation for itself in the enterprise market.

"We will scramble to meet demands from telecom, finance, energy and the government procurement market," said Hu Weiwu, president of Loongson Technology Corp.

In April, the company unveiled its latest processors, Loongson 3A3000 and 3B3000, which boast faster computing power.

Now, it is working hard to build up its own ecosystem for hardware manufacturers and software developers.

"Our ecosystem (of clients) has about 10,000 people working on Loongson-based hardware and software," Hu said.

Chips are the engines which drive computer hardware in an array of products from smartphones to supersonic jets.

The Chinese microprocessor designer behind the world's fastest supercomputer is also looking for a wider commercial application for its wares as the AI boom triggers demand.

The National High Performance IC Design Center (Shanghai) came up with the semiconductors to power the Sunway TaihuLight supercomputer and is now in talks with domestic firms about the use of its chips in AI-enabled products.

"We are in discussions with both internet heavyweights and State-owned enterprises about possible cooperation," said Yao Li, a technical director at the IC Design Center.

The Sunway TaihuLight supercomputer at the Chinese Supercomputing Center in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, is the world's fastest, according to TOP500, an organization which ranks the 500 most-powerful computer systems twice a year.