Xi'an Forges "Chasing Light" Hard Power Xi'an Daily 2025-05-14 08:00 In the vast expanse of space, every leap forward in China's aerospace industry has been firmly supported by "Xi'an power." On the innovation track of the microscopic world, Xi'an is leveraging the surging momentum of its photonics industry to drive high-quality urban development. In recent days, reporters learned during interviews that as a key hub for photonics technology innovation in China, Xi'an leverages its robust research and development foundation and industrial ecosystem to build a comprehensive photonics industry cluster spanning materials, chips, manufacturing, and sensing, using cutting-edge technology to secure a leading position in the global photonics industry.
Xi'an High-Tech Zone "Curvature Engine" Photonics Manufacturing Park (Zone 1).
The "Chasing Light Speed" from Laboratory to Industrialization
Since the launch of the "Chasing Light Plan" in 2021, Xi'an has leveraged the research and development foundation of the Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to continuously advance in the field of photonics chips. Safelux has achieved the world's first mass production of semi-polar gallium nitride, a core material for optoelectronic chips, a technology that was previously monopolized by foreign countries; Tangjing Quantum's VCSEL epitaxial wafers have key performance indicators reaching international leading levels, equipping 5G communications and intelligent sensing with a "Chinese core."
In the field of ultrafast lasers, the femtosecond laser processing equipment developed by Zhongke Weijing has solved the challenge of processing air film holes in aircraft engine blades, enabling domestically produced large aircraft to have a stronger "heart"... Behind these breakthroughs lies the innovative collaboration between Xi'an's major research institutions and enterprises. According to reporters, the Shaanxi Photonics Technology Laboratory has brought together top institutions like the Institute of Optics and Mechanics to form an innovation consortium centered on "large-scale scientific facilities + common technology platforms." The 6-inch compound device platform built by the Shaanxi Optoelectronics Pioneer Institute provides pilot production services for over 20 leading companies like RuiShi Technology, driving technology from blueprints to production lines.
Notably, the 8-inch silicon photonics pilot production platform is expected to be operational by year-end, making Xi'an the only city in China with a comprehensive pilot production and specialized foundry platform dedicated to the photonics chip sector, covering both "compound semiconductors and silicon photonics." This positions Xi'an among the few global cities with full-chain R&D capabilities in silicon photonics, further accelerating the domestic production of photonics chips.
From "seedlings" to an "ecosystem rainforest"
In the "Curvature Engine" photonics cluster zone of Xi'an High-Tech Zone, a clear industrial chain spanning "materials-devices-equipment-systems" is taking shape. Lixin Optoelectronics has achieved mass production of high-power laser chips, Qixin Optoelectronics has overcome challenges in photonics integration technology, and Zhongke Atom focuses on optoelectronic imaging detectors... Nearly 200 photonics companies have formed an "innovation matrix" here, with the industry scale exceeding 25 billion yuan in 2024. particularly with the recognition of the "National-level Specialized Industrial Cluster for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises," marking Xi'an's photonics industry's transition from a "seedling" to an "ecological rainforest."
Precise financial support has made this "ecological rainforest" even more prosperous. To address weaknesses in the industrial chain, Xi'an has established photonics chain-building funds and chain-strengthening funds. The photonics industry fund cluster has been established and is beginning to show results. By "investing early, investing in small companies, and investing in hard technology," it has attracted 31 companies from outside the province, such as Laisun Technology, to relocate to Xi'an, and has helped companies such as Luowei Technology to take root in Xi'an with their core technologies. Shaping a new landscape for the photonics industry with cutting-edge technology Today, Xi'an's photonics industry has embarked on a second leap forward through a combination of "attracting investment" and "scaling up."
In this process, the construction of a heterogeneous integration Fab platform has been prioritized, aiming to establish a new global hub for silicon photonics ecosystems; mergers and acquisitions are being actively explored to integrate hard technology resources through controlling stakes in listed companies; collaborations with leading enterprises are being pursued to explore application scenarios and promote the early adoption of new technologies. Currently, the focus is on leveraging the laser radar supply chain to achieve deep integration between the photonics supply chain and the new energy vehicle supply chain...
It is clear that in Xi'an's "pursuit of light" blueprint, there is both the boldness to pioneer advanced technologies and the foresight to strategically position itself in emerging sectors. This city is using the photonics industry as its tool to vigorously write the next chapter of its development-from attracting to nurturing and expanding-shaping a new landscape for the photonics industry through cutting-edge technology.
