2021 China Integrated Circuit Market Research Report Overview

The report, compiled from WSTS and IC Insights data, shows that over the past three years China’s market share for MPU and logic circuits has continuously increased, DRAM has declined, and analog circuits, NAND Flash, and MCU have remained relatively stable.

Storage chips dominate demand, with NAND Flash and DRAM together accounting for over 30% of the market, while logic circuits now represent more than a quarter of total chip volume due to expanding AI, cloud computing, and ASIC applications.

CPU chips are described as central processing units used in PCs, mobile devices, game consoles, routers, etc. The Chinese market mainly relies on ARM and RISC‑V architectures, with most domestic firms licensing IP rather than designing their own instruction sets.

GPU chips are highlighted for their parallel processing power, with Intel leading the 2020 Q4 PC GPU market, followed by AMD and Nvidia. Domestic GPU design firms are few, concentrated in Shanghai and Changsha, and have yet to capture significant market share.

FPGA chips are presented as programmable logic devices offering short development cycles, low latency, and low power consumption. Global market is dominated by Xilinx and Intel, while China’s domestic FPGA market share is below 1%, though it is expected to grow at a 10.43% CAGR through 2025.

ASIC chips are discussed as specialized integrated circuits for AI workloads, with Chinese companies like Huawei HiSilicon, Cambricon, Tianji, and Suiyuan providing cloud inference products.

Flash storage chips (NOR and NAND) are identified as the weakest segment in China’s chip ecosystem, still largely controlled by foreign manufacturers. The report notes the need for increased R&D to achieve domestic substitution for DRAM and NAND Flash.

Overall, the report outlines the current market structure, investment landscape, and future challenges for China’s integrated circuit industry, emphasizing the importance of accelerating advanced chip design and production to close the gap with global leaders.