Free access offered to chip design tools

In response to recent US moves to block Chinese semiconductor firms from accessing advanced chip design tools, Shanghai UniVista Industrial Software Group said it will offer free trials and evaluations of its critical electronic design automation, or EDA, tools to domestic users. This is aimed at alleviating the mounting challenges faced by China's chip industry.

Dubbed the cradle of integrated circuits, EDA software enables the design of billions of transistors on modern chips. It is essential for designing, verifying, and testing integrated circuits — forming the backbone of modern chip creation.

The US Department of Commerce recently asked leading American and European EDA software suppliers to not sell to China without first obtaining an export license, intensifying barriers to China's semiconductor development.

UniVista said it is China's only domestic EDA provider capable of fully supporting the entire digital chip verification flow while supplying high-speed interconnect IP for advanced process nodes. Its portfolio spans digital EDA tools, system-level solutions, and high-end IP.

With over 200 clients — including most major Chinese high-end chip designers — UniVista emphasizes its proven expertise in supporting complex large-scale digital chip projects. The company's tools have undergone rigorous refinement through real-world applications, backed by what it describes as a "highly capable" technical support team.

Founded in 2020, UniVista's investors include China Internet Investment Fund and the China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, also known as the Big Fund.

Han Yinhe, a professor at the Institute of Computing Technology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said it is worth a thumbs-up for UniVista.

"In recent years, China has invested substantial resources in EDA. With the industry's real-world experience and emerging opportunities, a breakthrough is highly anticipated," Han said.

Empyrean Technology Co, a chip subsidiary of China Electronics Corp, is also a major Chinese player in the development of EDA tools. It also has gradually emerged over the years as a leading enterprise with a complete product line and strong, comprehensive technical strength in EDA tools for the entire semiconductor industry chain.

Several Chinese insurance companies have tailor-made insurance services to promote the use of homegrown chip products such as EDA tools, people familiar with the matter told China Daily.

Such insurance services, which have already been used to support domestic auto chip companies in the past, can help Chinese semiconductor enterprises lower research and development costs and accelerate efforts for breakthroughs in core technologies, they said.

Xiang Ligang, director-general of the Zhongguancun Modern Information Consumer Application Industry Technology Alliance, a telecom industry association, said, "China's semiconductor industry, tempered by years of US sanctions, now boasts a near-complete supply chain."

"Previous restrictions ironically catalyzed China's progress in chips. The latest restrictions may similarly drive upgrades, particularly in high-value upstream segments like lithography machines and specialty chemicals. While short-term disruptions are inevitable, the sector's strategic focus could transform external pressure into a catalyst for innovation," Xiang added.

Wei Shaojun, president of the integrated circuit design branch of the China Semiconductor Industry Association, said: "The more others suppress us, the more we need to be self-reliant. But self-reliance does not mean self-isolation. It is about finding ways to break the containment."

"China needs to promote the re-globalization of the semiconductor industry by achieving self-reliance in crucial technologies as well as by teaming up with countries and enterprises that are willing to cooperate," said Wei.