Chinese state entities, research institutes, and tech giants have invested at least USD 50 million in RISC-V related projects between 2018 and 2023. The number of patents involving RISC-V published in China has also seen a significant increase. While RISC-V lags behind Arm in complex computing tasks, the gap is closing as more startups and tech companies invest in the open-source standard. The article also highlights the military interest in RISC-V, with several universities and research institutes linked to China's military developing and promoting the technology.
Key takeaways:
- China is investing in the open-source standard RISC-V to reduce its dependence on Western technology in the global chip market, particularly in light of U.S. sanctions and export controls.
- RISC-V's low cost, ease of customisation, and energy efficiency are making it attractive to chipmakers, particularly for AI chips.
- Chinese tech giants Alibaba and Huawei are among the largest filers of patents involving RISC-V, with over 2,500 such patents published in China.
- Despite its potential, RISC-V currently accounts for only 1.9% of all system-on-a-chip units shipped, with the dominant standards still being x86 and Arm, controlled by Western companies.