Suzhou in Jiangsu Province will host the IC China 2008 event in September, promoting the world's most advanced integrated circuit technologies and equipment.

Organizers said the show, with an area of about 30,000 square meters, could stimulate China's electronic information industry.

"China is still weak in the integrated circuit (IC) industry compared with its counterparts in Western countries, so the industry still needs support," said Xu Xiaotian, secretary general of the China Semi-conductor Industry Association, yesterday.

China generated IC sales of more than $17 billion last year, up 24.3 percent over 2006, but the figure accounted for only 7 percent of the world's total sales.

Local insiders said China's electronic information industry maintained steady growth last year, with an increase rate of 18 percent.

"The industry is expected to still enjoy normal development this year," said Wang Bohua, deputy director general of the Department of Electronic and IT Products under the Ministry of Information Industry.

Suzhou is one of China's several IC design and manufacturing centers with 100 IC companies generating 30 billion yuan ($4.1 billion) every year there.

Its IC business occupies 17 percent of China's whole IC industry and its packaging and testing industry make up 28 percent of the country's sales of the kind, said Chang Liang, secretary general of Suzhou IC Industry Association.

As the most influential show among China’s semi-conductor industry, IC China will provide a platform for participants from home and abroad for exchanges about the world's most advanced semi-conductor technologies and products, Chang said.

Several summits on IC technology and industry will be held during the show to push forward the development of the world's electronic industry, he said.

(China Daily March 4, 2008)