In a remarkable industrial evolution, Guangde, a county-level city in Anhui province, transformed itself from a newcomer into a nationally recognized electronic circuits hub that reshaped the international integrated circuit substrate market.

Recognizing electronic circuits as a key strategic industry, Guangde's government launched an industrial park dedicated to printed circuit boards, or PCBs, in April 2010.

To avoid competing directly in low-end manufacturing with coastal powerhouses, it pursued a focused, mid-to-high-end strategy, attracting top-tier companies from the Yangtze River Delta region specializing in advanced PCBs and flexible printed circuits.

As the digital economy surged, Guangde proactively embraced digital transformation. A key step was establishing an industrial internet platform specifically for the PCB sector.

This platform enables seamless order coordination, equipment sharing, and energy monitoring between upstream and downstream factories.

In 2023, Guangde took a bold step into the IC substrates industry by supporting the launch of Anhui Splendid Technology Co.

This company focuses on the research, production, and sales of IC substrates, which are critical components for packaging advanced chips like CPUs.

According to Kang Liang, chairman of the company, China had long relied on imports. The country's domestic supply rate was below 5 percent, meaning it heavily relied on foreign manufacturers.

"Facing these challenges, our company is committed to innovation and R&D to achieve domestic production of high-end IC substrates," said Kang.

He said the efforts helped break the foreign technology monopoly and boosted China's semiconductor self-sufficiency.

Currently the only IC substrate manufacturer in Anhui, the firm is now filling the blank in key packaging materials in the province.

Pan Shaokang contributed to this story.

Contact the writer at zhulixin@chinadaily.com.cn