The U.S. trade sanctions have barred Huawei and other Chinese companies from purchasing advanced chipmaking equipment from Dutch-based ASML, with absolutely zero probability of securing cutting-edge wafers from TSMC too. While the partnership with China’s largest semiconductor manufacturer, SMIC, seems to be going along just fine, Huawei likely wants chip development to go into overdrive mode.
This is the reason why it was previously reported to have invested billions in a new R&D center located in Guangzhou that would fulfill this purpose. Now, the first ‘official’ pictures have come forth, showing what the facility would look like indoors and outdoors. Perhaps this project could become the progenitor of Huawei’s self-sufficiency in next-generation wafer manufacturing, but only time will tell.
As reported by CnBeta, which spotted Huawei’s R&D facility pictures through a WeChat account titled China Guangzhou Release, the Phase I center located in the New Coast area of the Bay Area is expected to be completed in September this year. The mention of the term ‘Phase I’ implies that this is not the only base that Huawei is planning, suggesting that the former Chinese giant is planning something of gargantuan proportions.
As for the area, the report states that the project covers approximately 119,300 square meters, with a total construction area of approximately 305,000 square meters. Phase I includes eight R&D buildings, one hotel, one cooling tower, a guard room, and two basements. After its completion in September, the entire facility should accommodate 5,000 people for R&D and office use. However, an earlier report stated that Huawei’s R&D facility is expected to house 35,000 employees and is said to
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