As the "heart of technology," semiconductors are indispensable to sectors ranging from smartphones and household appliances to artificial intelligence and aerospace. 

On March 7, the Foshan Semiconductor Technology Park broke ground in the core area of the Guangdong (Foshan) Large Industrial Cluster Zone — the Foshan Talent Innovation Lighthouse Industrial Park — marking the establishment of Foshan's main base for semiconductor development and a major step in advancing new productive forces.

At the same time, the Lighthouse Industrial Park launched an investment promotion campaign, offering six premium land parcels to attract leading enterprises and further expand its blueprint for high-quality development.

Foshan Semiconductor Technology Park broke ground in the Foshan Talent Innovation Lighthouse Industrial Park

Closing the Gap in Chip Manufacturing

As a key driver of new productive forces, the semiconductor industry is central to future growth. The Foshan Semiconductor Technology Park aims to develop a full-chain ecosystem covering high-performance IC design and manufacturing, materials and equipment, and packaging and testing. Once fully operational, it is expected to form an integrated circuit industry cluster with an annual output of 20 billion yuan.

Foshan, with its strong manufacturing base in home appliances, automobiles, and electronic information, offers a solid foundation and growing application scenarios that support the convergence of the semiconductor and integrated circuit industries. The city's industrial chain already covers materials, equipment, design, manufacturing, and packaging, and boasts strengths in specialty gases and packaging equipment.

According to Wang Hui, Deputy Director of the Guangdong Institute of Semiconductor Micro-Nano Manufacturing Technology, the park will build industry-specific zones for equipment, materials, and devices. The institute has developed two platforms — for micro-nano processing and materials characterization — and serves over 200 enterprises as the only mid-test platform in Guangdong's semiconductor sector.

To meet urgent industry demands, the park will construct an 80,000-square-meter "acceleration zone" with ready-to-use production facilities.

"Positioned as the central hub of Foshan's semiconductor industry, the park will help close Guangdong's gap in chip manufacturing," said Wang Hui. While Guangdong accounts for 60% of China's chip demand, its domestic production share is only 20%. By leveraging Foshan's manufacturing strengths, the park aims to address this imbalance.

According to Wu Hong, Deputy Director of the Guangdong Department of Industry and Information Technology, the park is a strategic step in building a world-class semiconductor hub. It also demonstrates Foshan's commitment to driving high-quality manufacturing and contributes valuable experience to Guangdong's pursuit of new productive forces.

Enterprises Bring Technology and Confidence

A number of leading enterprises signed agreements to settle in the Lighthouse Park during the groundbreaking ceremony, including projects in rare-earth scintillator crystal materials, semiconductor laser chip epitaxy production, and magnetic sensor chip manufacturing. These enterprises, such as Guangdong Yueke Jingneng Technology, Guangdong Xincheng Optoelectronics, and Zhuhai Multi-innovation Technology, bring strong R&D capabilities, stable supply chains, and broad customer networks, and are expected to inject new vitality into Foshan's semiconductor ecosystem.

A number of enterprises signed agreements to settle in the Lighthouse Park

Li Jie, General Manager of Zhongke Ruitai Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd., said the company plans to invest 30 million yuan in a new manufacturing base in Foshan, attracted by the park's manufacturing synergy, proximity to Foshan West Railway Station, and international development potential. The company is developing integrated unmanned systems, including drones, autonomous boats, and humanoid robots, and aims to lead in consumer innovation scenarios like scenic area applications.

During the promotion event, the Lighthouse Industrial Park announced six available land parcels, including one residential, one commercial, and four industrial plots, totaling 303 mu. Foshan Semiconductor Technology Park and the South China Singapore Smart Innovation Park also extended investment invitations to global enterprises.

In February, Neusoft Group secured two major land parcels in the park to build a 600 million yuan Digital Technology Industrial Park. According to Neusoft's South China General Manager Cui Hao, the group aims to make breakthroughs in education, healthcare, and smart city development. In particular, Neusoft is advancing "AI + healthcare" solutions to deliver more efficient, precise services for patients and institutions.

Liu Jie, Member of the Standing Committee of Foshan Municipal Party Committee and Vice Mayor, reaffirmed the government's full support for enterprises in the park. "Foshan will continue to be your strongest partner and best collaborator," he said.

Driving Growth Through Industrial Clustering

The Lighthouse Industrial Park has become a strong engine for innovation in the western Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, with 15 innovation platforms, five national-level incubators, and five national-level makerspaces.

To further strengthen its innovation ecosystem, the park established the Foshan Talent Innovation Lighthouse Industrial Park Innovation Carrier Alliance. This alliance brings together universities, research institutions, and enterprises to provide high-quality development resources for companies.

As the core pilot zone of the Guangdong (Foshan) Large Industrial Cluster Zone and one of two key parks in Foshan High-tech Zone, the Lighthouse Industrial Park plays a vital role in the city's strategic industrial development.

To support this vision, Foshan has set up a 1 billion yuan Innovation Development Investment Fund, co-managed by Foshan Talent Group and various district authorities. The fund prioritizes emerging sectors such as power equipment, AI, robotics, and new energy, using a combination of strategic, early-stage, and growth-focused investments to accelerate project development.

In addition, the Foshan High-tech Zone released a "Technology Innovation Map" highlighting the distribution of 27 municipal-level new R&D institutions, 18 provincial-level key labs, 5 national R&D branch centers, 17 national enterprise tech centers, and 56 mid-test platforms. This map aims to promote coordinated regional innovation and resource sharing.

Foshan National High-tech Industrial Development Zone released a "Technology Innovation Map"

As Guangdong pushes forward with its "five major upgrades" — covering industries, platforms, projects, enterprises, and the business environment — Foshan's Lighthouse Industrial Park is positioned to become a powerful new engine for the province's advanced manufacturing sector.

Reporter | Lynn

Revisor | Ella, Zoey

Resource | Foshan News and Media Center