On June 7, the Shaanxi Provincial "Two-Chain" Integration Key Special Project batch list of topics for public bidding was officially released, openly soliciting solutions and undertaking units nationwide. A total of 7 industry enterprises released 8 key and urgent topic lists. Among them, Xi'an Zhongke Weijing Photonics Manufacturing Technology Co., Ltd., in the field of photonic integration and photonic manufacturing, invested 20 million yuan to release the topic list of "Ultrafast Laser Intelligent Flexible Complete Production Line Integration Technology for Precision Manufacturing of Aero-Engine Blade Film Cooling Holes," which attracted much attention.

"With the rapid development of the enterprise, we urgently need to build a smart production line to achieve 24-hour unattended operation to complete processes such as material feeding, processing, and inspection, with a product pass rate of over 90%. Therefore, we released the above topic list. This is our positive attempt to deploy the innovation chain around the industrial chain and layout the industrial chain around the innovation chain," said a person in charge of the Strategic Development Department of Zhongke Weijing.

Founded in 2015, Zhongke Weijing is a hard technology company incubated by the "Xiguang Model," committed to the research and development and production of ultrafast laser high-end precision manufacturing equipment. It has broken through a number of core technologies and processes that restrict the engineering application of ultrafast lasers and has taken the lead in China in developing three-axis to seven-axis ultrafast laser high-end manufacturing equipment. It provides comprehensive solutions for ultra-fine cold processing of complex components in the fields of aviation, aerospace, and electronics. Currently, Zhongke Weijing has become one of the leading companies in China's photonic manufacturing field.

"There is a reason for the excitement of the person in charge. Since the beginning of this year, Shaanxi has been continuously promoting the integration of the 'two chains' and accelerating the development of the photonic industry:

On March 30, the Qin Chuang Yuan Innovation-Driven Platform Construction Authorization and Signing Event was held in Xixian New Area. The Shaanxi Provincial Photonic Industry Common Technology R&D Platform became one of the first 4 common technology R&D platforms to be signed. The platform will focus on the shortcomings and cutting-edge technologies of the photonic industry chain and provide common technology services for a batch of photonic industry companies such as Zhongke Weijing, Juguang Technology, and Lixin Photoelectricity, promoting the precise docking of the innovation chain and the industrial chain.

On May 13, the Shaanxi Provincial Photonic Industry Innovation Consortium was established in Xi'an. The consortium was jointly established by the Shaanxi Provincial Academy of Sciences, the Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Northwest University, Air Force Engineering University, and other provincial photonic technology advantage innovation units. It will further enhance Shaanxi's photonic technology advantages, accelerate the cultivation and growth of enterprises, and drive the aggregation and development of the entire photonic industry chain. Zhongke Weijing is one of the core units of this innovation consortium.

"For nearly 50 years, the global integrated circuit industry has continued to develop and has now entered the post-Moore era. With the feature size of integrated circuit chips tending towards physical limits, the trend of replacing electrons with photons has emerged. The photonic industry is one of the most leading and fundamental emerging industries in the 21st century and is the cornerstone of the future information industry," said Ma Caiwen, director of the Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics.

On June 9, the 2021 Global Hard Technology Innovation Conference - Photonics Industry Summit was held in Xi'an. At the meeting, Ma Caiwen, on behalf of the Shaanxi Photonic Pioneer Innovation Center, released Shaanxi's "Chasing Light Plan" for the development of the photonic industry. According to the plan, the province will focus on three key areas: advanced laser and photonic manufacturing, photonic materials and chips, and photonic sensing. Taking the Xi'an High-Tech Zone as the main承载地, it will drive the aggregation and development of the entire photonic industry chain, creating a global highland for original innovation of photonic technology, the main battlefield for the development of China's photonic industry, and a globally influential highland for the photonic industry ecosystem.

"So far, Shaanxi has more than a hundred photonic technology companies, and several photonic manufacturing, photonic information, photonic sensing, and biophotonic industry clusters have been preliminarily established," said Ma Caiwen. "Shaanxi has seized the opportunity of the high-speed growth of the photonic industry and is promoting the implementation of the 'Chasing Light Plan' to accelerate the deployment of the innovation chain around the industrial chain and the layout of the industrial chain around the innovation chain, which is timely."

It is understood that in order to ensure the smooth implementation of the "Chasing Light Plan," the province will launch six key measures, including establishing a "chain leader system" working mechanism, setting up a Shaanxi Photonic Pioneer Innovation Center, and establishing a photonic industry chain strengthening fund. By 2023, the province will add 70 photonic雏鹰or little giant companies, 30 photonic technology champion companies, and the total number of photonic companies will reach 250, with an industrial scale reaching 10 billion yuan. The Shaanxi photonic industry cluster will be preliminarily formed.

(Originally published in Shaanxi Daily, June 21, 2021, on pages 1 and 2)