The Several Measures for Accelerating the Development of the AI Chip Industry in Suzhou City (Draft for Comments) is open for public comment. It mentions strengthening core backbone enterprises. Focusing on key areas such as GPU general-purpose chips, ASIC specialized chips, FPGA semi-customized chips, memory-compute integrated chips, and silicon photonics chips, it will increase investment attraction efforts and accelerate the cultivation and introduction of a batch of high-quality projects and leading enterprises with strong driving capabilities. Comprehensive support will be provided for key projects in terms of space security, site construction, and talent introduction.

It will also promote AI chip companies to enhance their resource integration capabilities through mergers and acquisitions, expand their business to upstream and downstream of the industrial chain, and encourage mergers and acquisitions of high-quality AI chip companies. County-level cities (districts) will be encouraged to provide rewards for companies implementing mergers and acquisitions.

Details are as follows:

Several Measures for Accelerating the Development of the AI Chip Industry in Suzhou City

(Draft for Comments)

To seize the opportunity of the rapid iterative development of artificial intelligence technology, give full play to the city's advantages in the semiconductor and integrated circuit industry, accelerate the innovative breakthroughs and agglomeration of the AI chip industry, and combine with the city's industrial development, these measures are formulated.

I. Strengthening Core Backbone Enterprises. Focusing on key areas such as GPU general-purpose chips, ASIC specialized chips, FPGA semi-customized chips, memory-compute integrated chips, and silicon photonics chips, investment attraction efforts will be increased, and the cultivation and introduction of a batch of high-quality projects and leading enterprises with strong driving capabilities will be accelerated. Comprehensive support will be provided for key projects in terms of space security, site construction, and talent introduction. AI chip companies will be encouraged to enhance their resource integration capabilities through mergers and acquisitions, expand their business to upstream and downstream of the industrial chain. Mergers and acquisitions of high-quality AI chip companies will be supported, and county-level cities (districts) will be encouraged to provide rewards for companies implementing mergers and acquisitions. A reward of RMB 1 million and RMB 400,000 will be given to AI chip companies awarded the title of Manufacturing Single Champion and National Specialized and New "Small Giant" respectively. High-tech enterprises in the AI chip sector will receive up to RMB 1 million in support. (Responsible units: Suzhou Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, Suzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, Suzhou Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Suzhou Municipal Talent Office, and the people's governments/management committees of all county-level cities <districts>)

II. Layout and Construction of Innovation Platforms. Focusing on key areas of AI chips, the construction of innovation consortia led by leading enterprises, supported by universities and research institutions, and with the collaboration of various innovative entities will be accelerated. Operational funding support of up to RMB 2 million will be provided. The construction of AI chip public technology service platforms focusing on key aspects such as AI chip technology R&D and technology transfer will be encouraged. Newly built platforms will receive support of up to 20% of the total investment, up to a maximum of RMB 20 million. Platforms providing professional services such as EDA tools, system-on-chip (SoC) design services, multi-project wafers (MPW), functional simulation, testing and verification, "chip-machine" linkage, rapid packaging and testing, and talent training for AI chip design companies will receive a reward of up to 20% of the service revenue provided to local enterprises, up to a maximum of RMB 3 million. (Responsible units: Suzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, and the people's governments/management committees of all county-level cities <districts>)

III. Gathering High-end Chip Talent. Focusing on the field of AI chips, the city will vigorously attract and cultivate domestic and overseas talents at the forefront of artificial intelligence technology and at the international first-class level, who master key core technologies and can bring about significant impact and breakthroughs. Project funding of RMB 30 million to RMB 100 million and housing subsidies of RMB 3 million to RMB 10 million will be provided. In the Suzhou Innovation and Entrepreneurship Leading Talent Program, about 100 "artificial intelligence special" quotas will be set aside each year. Exceptionally outstanding candidates may be exempted from restrictions on education and time spent in Suzhou, and will receive project funding of RMB 1 million to RMB 5 million and housing subsidies of RMB 1 million to RMB 2 million. Talents selected for the Suzhou Key Industrial Talent Shortage Program will receive salary subsidies of up to RMB 300,000. The construction of an industry-academia-research integrated circuit industry talent public training base integrating education, training, and research will be promoted, and a full-industry-chain high-skilled talent team will be built in the AI chip field. (Responsible departments: Suzhou Municipal Talent Office, Suzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, Suzhou Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, Suzhou Municipal Education Bureau, Suzhou Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, and the people's governments/management committees of all county-level cities <districts>)

IV. Achieving Key Technological Breakthroughs. A list of key core technologies for AI chips will be compiled, and enterprises will be encouraged to conduct research on technologies such as chip architecture, process technology, computing acceleration, heterogeneous integration, and data center optical modules. Support of up to RMB 10 million will be provided for key core technology research and development projects. AI chip design companies will be supported in carrying out engineering wafer verification with independent intellectual property rights. Up to 50% of the costs for the first wafer fabrication, mask making, and testing and verification will be supported, with a maximum support of RMB 5 million for products with a process technology of 12nm and above, and RMB 10 million for products with a process technology of 12nm and below. County-level cities (districts) with the capacity to do so are encouraged to provide joint support. AI chip companies will be encouraged to put forward technical needs, attracting domestic and foreign innovative entities to undertake research and development projects to accelerate the breakthrough of technological bottlenecks hindering industrial development. (Responsible units: Suzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, Suzhou Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, and the people's governments/management committees of all county-level cities <districts>)

V. Supporting Standard Development. A mechanism for interactive support between technological innovation, patent protection, and standardization in the AI field will be established to promote the intellectual property and standardization of innovative achievements. Convenient services will be provided for AI chip technology patent applications and software copyright registration. The role of industry associations and standardization organizations will be played, and leading AI chip enterprises, key colleges and universities, and research institutions will be supported in leading and participating in the formulation (revision) of AI chip industry standards. After approval by the competent authorities, support will be provided in accordance with relevant policies. The establishment of a high-value patent cultivation center in the chip field will be supported, and rewards will be given for outstanding achievements. (Responsible departments: Suzhou Municipal Market Supervision Bureau, and the people's governments/management committees of all county-level cities <districts>)

VI. Promoting Mass Production of Key Products. Focusing on major application areas such as data centers, computer vision, intelligent connected vehicles, intelligent robots, and intelligent voice, and combining with the key technology list, innovative entities will be encouraged to promote the large-scale mass production of key products through industry-academia-research cooperation. A one-time reward of RMB 500,000 will be given to AI chip IDM (vertical integration manufacturing model) enterprises whose innovative products are included in the provincial key promotion and application list of new technologies and new products. AI chip enterprises will receive preferential support in the Suzhou Science and Technology Achievements Transformation Program to accelerate the cultivation of major innovative AI chip products, with each project receiving up to RMB 20 million in support. Insurance institutions will be encouraged to explore customized insurance products for AI chips to provide insurance protection for various stages such as R&D, production, and sales. (Responsible units: Suzhou Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, Suzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, and the people's governments/management committees of all county-level cities <districts>)

VII. Accelerating Industrial Synergy and Linkage. AI chip design enterprises and manufacturing enterprises will be encouraged to cooperate, and packaging and testing enterprises will be supported in expanding their AI chip product layout. Integrated circuit manufacturing and packaging and testing enterprises that provide production capacity for the self-developed products of Suzhou AI chip design enterprises and produce products that meet certain conditions will receive a reward of up to 10% of the actual production cost of each product order, up to a maximum of RMB 3 million. End users, system solution integrators, and data centers using AI chips from local enterprises will receive a reward of 10% of the annual usage amount, with a maximum reward of RMB 1 million per enterprise. Semiconductor equipment enterprises that are recognized as provincial-level or Suzhou-Wuxi-Changzhou first (set) major equipment will receive rewards of RMB 800,000 and RMB 500,000 respectively. Enterprises producing and selling the first batch of semiconductor new materials products of the same type and technical parameters in the annual demonstration guide catalog of key new materials will receive a reward of RMB 500,000. Industry chain upstream and downstream supply and demand linkage and industry docking activities such as "chip-machine" and "chip-materials and equipment" will be organized to enhance the collaborative capabilities of the industrial chain. (Responsible units: Suzhou Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, and the people's governments/management committees of all county-level cities <districts>)

VIII. Opening Up Large-Scale Application Scenarios. Government agencies and enterprises and institutions will be encouraged to open up application scenarios, and AI chip enterprises will be supported in actively participating in applications in areas such as government services, transportation, sanitation, public security, education, and healthcare, accelerating the iteration of new technologies, application of new products, and implementation of new scenarios for AI chip products, and cultivating and creating benchmark cases with typical significance. A chip evaluation standard and adaptation certification system will be built to accelerate the large-scale application of AI chips in training and reasoning scenarios in intelligent computing centers. AI chip enterprises will be encouraged to integrate industry resources and high-quality data to develop AI chip products based on scenario needs, forming replicable and promotable solutions. (Responsible units: Suzhou Municipal Bureau of Data Resources, Suzhou Municipal Transportation Bureau, Suzhou Municipal Urban Management Bureau, Suzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau, Suzhou Municipal Education Bureau, Suzhou Municipal Health Commission, Suzhou Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, and the people's governments/management committees of all county-level cities <districts>)

IX. Strengthening Financial Support. Full use will be made of the artificial intelligence industry special mother fund, focusing on local AI chip innovative enterprises with key core technologies and strong development potential, leveraging social capital into the AI chip field, and supporting the original innovation and technology transfer of AI chip enterprises. Cooperation with national and provincial integrated circuit industry investment funds will be strengthened to obtain support from funds at all levels for the development of the AI chip industry in Suzhou. Specialized and new enterprises and high-tech enterprises in the AI chip field will be重點 supported in entering the reserve list of listed companies for key cultivation. Tax preferential policies for integrated circuit enterprises will be actively implemented. (Responsible units: Suzhou Municipal Finance Office, Suzhou Municipal Finance Bureau, Suzhou Branch of the National Financial Regulatory Bureau, Suzhou Venture Capital, and the people's governments/management committees of all county-level cities <districts>)

X. Building a Diverse Industrial Ecosystem. The guiding role of the "Artificial Intelligence +" city policy will be played to accelerate the construction of a deep cooperation ecosystem among AI chip design enterprises, large model reasoning and training enterprises, intelligent computing and data centers, and terminal application enterprises. Leading enterprises will be supported in leading the establishment of an AI chip industry ecological alliance, and industry chain upstream and downstream docking and exchange activities will be held to provide a communication platform for enterprises. Industry organizations such as AI chip industry alliances, industry associations, and think tanks will be encouraged to strengthen their capacity building and provide professional services to the industry. High-level exchange and cooperation platforms will be built, and open innovation and global cooperation will be encouraged, supporting the creation of brand exhibitions and forums in the AI chip field. (Responsible units: Suzhou Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Suzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, Suzhou Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, Suzhou Municipal Commerce Bureau, and the people's governments/management committees of all county-level cities <districts>)

AI chip enterprises referred to in this document are enterprises legally registered in Suzhou with AI (artificial intelligence) chip design, manufacturing, and packaging and testing as their main businesses. This document shall be interpreted by the Suzhou Municipal People's Government, and the specific interpretation work shall be undertaken by the Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology in conjunction with relevant departments.

This document shall come into effect from X month X, 2025, and shall be valid until December 31, 2027. Funds involved in the policies of various departments shall be implemented in accordance with the original channels and fiscal system requirements. For the same matter or project that meets multiple support policies of the municipal finance, support shall be provided in accordance with the principle of "higher, no repetition", and duplicate applications shall not be allowed. In case of adjustments to relevant policies of the superior authorities during the implementation period, the provisions of the superior authorities shall prevail.