Chinese chip pioneer calls for focus on ‘pragmatic breakthroughs’ over chasing 2nm hype

The founder of China’s largest contract chipmaker has urged the country’s semiconductor industry to pursue breakthroughs in niche markets such as mature chips, citing their importance for “supply chain security”. Richard Chang Rugin, 78, former CEO of Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC), cautioned against blindly chasing industry hype around cutting-edge process nodes. The industry veteran stressed the value of investing in mature nodes and specialty processes, which accounted...