Great Country Academician

Chapter 985 There is no other choice~

If we talk about the most eye-catching thing in 2025, it is undoubtedly the breakthrough of carbon-based chip technology.

In front of it, even the manned Mars landing project, which was launched more than half a month ago and took the first step for mankind to face other planets in the universe, is inferior by half.

Although the latter is more meaningful from the perspective of the entire human civilization, at present, for the whole world, the drastic changes in the semiconductor field are the real wave.

Because it involves the jobs and interests of countless people, and also involves changes in the global pattern.

Under the wheel of the times, no one can avoid it.

Qualcomm headquarters in the United States.

In a conference room, a meeting involving almost all executives was held.

In fact, this is not the first time.

After the product launch of the carbon-based chip, many top management of Qualcomm seemed to be on fire. They held countless meetings but did not discuss any good solutions.

Faced with the breakthrough of carbon-based chip technology, the cards in their hands are like waste paper that will be swept into the trash can, and they have no effect.

In the past, they were the undisputed industry leader in the semiconductor field.

Especially in the field of mobile phone chips, after kicking out Texas Instruments, punching Intel, Nvidia, and crushing Infineon, Qualcomm, the giant, has been the only one left in the mobile phone chip market in the past decade.

Although there are chip manufacturers such as Samsung and MediaTek participating, Qualcomm still controls the industry's dominance.

Not only the Snapdragon series, but also the most basic "baseband technology" that is the lifeblood of countless mobile phone manufacturers, as well as the patent walls that they have spent countless funds, manpower and material resources to build for decades.

If the 1G era belongs to Motorola, and the 2G era created Nokia and Texas Instruments, then the 3G era is the world of Qualcomm, and it also laid the foundation for Qualcomm to dominate the communications industry.

Because in the 3G and 4G eras, Qualcomm has a complete set of CDMA technology patents. Among the core patents of 3G and 4G, Qualcomm's contribution patents are both the world's first.

Even with the rise of Huawei in the 5G era, their position cannot be shaken.

It is no exaggeration to say that almost all manufacturers in the world cannot bypass Qualcomm if they want to make mobile phones.

It is for this reason that Qualcomm's mobile phone SOC chip business has been able to dominate the world.

But now, in front of carbon-based chips, the ecosystem and industrial chain they built around silicon-based chips in the past are like a foam ball floating in the air, which will break at the touch.

In the face of new technological changes, the times will never pity anyone who lags behind.

In the conference room, Cristiano Amon, president and CEO of Qualcomm, adjusted his glasses on his nose, with a trace of fatigue on his face that could not be concealed, and his eyes fell on the last executive who hurried over, and he spoke.

"Today's meeting is based on the proposal of our allies."

"This morning, Western Digital joined forces with Micron Technology, Intel and other companies to invite us to participate in the 'Anti-Carbon-Based Chip Alliance', hoping that Qualcomm can also join in and lobby Congress to ban the sale of carbon-based chips in the United States, as well as our allies in Europe, Japan, South Korea and other regions in the name of national security."

At the conference table, after hearing this proposal, Whit Maxwell, vice president of marketing, immediately said: "The idea is indeed very good. If it can be done, it can indeed buy us a lot of time."

"But I think their purpose should not be just to block carbon-based chips, right?"

"After all, it is impossible to simply ban the sale of carbon-based chips. Even if they unite to lobby Congress to pass this policy, it can only be temporary."

The option of blocking carbon-based chips is indeed feasible, and manufacturers in the semiconductor field definitely have the strength to unite.

But the choice of the market is difficult to intervene in for a long time.

After all, everyone wants to spend the same money to buy products with better performance.

In addition, in the case of a joint blockade, they have to worry about a manufacturer betraying them and choosing to cooperate with China.

Once such a thing happens, the alliance will be dead in name only.

More importantly, this possibility is not low.

After all, in order to survive, let alone betraying the alliance, even betraying your own father is not a big deal.

In the first place, Cristiano Amon nodded gently and said, "Indeed, blocking the sale of carbon-based chips in our market is only the last resort."

"They prefer to trade technology and patents with China in the market."

Hearing this choice, Whit Maxwell, the vice president in charge of marketing, looked at the other party in surprise.

"What do you mean?"

Cristiano Amon: "Yes, it's exactly what you think. He wants to get carbon-based chip technology from those Chinese people through market coercion, at least part of it."

"Is this feasible? Will those Chinese people agree?"

"If it were you, would you be willing?"

"Steve is really old, and he can even come up with such an idea."

"He is just daydreaming"

In the conference room, noisy discussions sounded, and the executives present were madly complaining.

Using the market to force the Chinese to submit?

Is this possible?

This is simply impossible.

It's like they have mastered advanced baseband technology, and China came to tell them that if you don't give us the baseband technology, you can't enter the Chinese market.

Only the third brother in South Asia can do such a thing.

After all, they really dare to do it.

Cristiano Amon shook his head and said, "I think Steve's proposal is quite good."

"WT?"

Hearing the words of the president, several core executives in the conference room looked over with a look of surprise.

This is almost impossible to do, and President Amon actually thinks the proposal is quite good?

Cristiano Amon glanced at the conference room, ignoring the surprise on their faces, and continued.

"Everyone here is a core executive, so I'll just say it directly."

After taking a deep breath, he continued: "From the product launch of carbon-based chips, it is inevitable that carbon-based chips will replace silicon-based chips."

"If the change of the times is irreversible, then why do we still have to hold on to the sinking ship of silicon-based chips?"

"What do you mean?"

After hearing the president's words, a core executive frowned and asked.

Amon smiled and said, "We can join the alliance first, fight against carbon-based chips together, and provide them with some help we can."

"If we can use this alliance to force the Chinese to release the technology and patents related to carbon-based chips, that would be the best."

"If this cannot be done, then the alliance can also let China see some of our determination and pressure."

"After all, they can't just give up the huge markets of the United States and the European Union. In the face of pressure from the alliance, they must need a partner to open up the market."

"At that time, it will be our chance!"

Hearing this, several core executives in the conference room frowned. The words have come to this point. The people present are also the top elites in the industry. How could they not know what the president means.

"Wouldn't it be too..."

Someone hesitated for a moment and looked at the president sitting in the first seat, with a flickering look in his eyes.

Cristiano Amon shrugged and said, "Are you trying to say that this is unethical?"

"My dear Mr. Sarri, I believe that I am not the only one who thinks so among the companies that join the alliance. The end of the silicon-based chip era is inevitable. Instead of wasting time on this ship that is bound to sink, it is better to make a choice that conforms to the times as soon as possible."

"You know, the impact of carbon-based chips on us should be the smallest among all semiconductor manufacturers. Moreover, we should also be the manufacturer that is most likely to turn around."

"And"

After a slight pause, he looked at the others present and continued, "If we don't do this, and others choose to do this, then you can imagine what the consequences will be."

After Amon's voice fell, the air in the conference room was quiet for a long time.

Indeed, although they are reluctant to admit that they have reached the end of the silicon-based chip era.

But after watching the carbon-based chip product launch conference, everyone has to admit that if they want to survive in the next carbon-based chip era, then embracing carbon-based chips is the only choice.

Even if they can rely on patent walls and legal barriers to hold on for a while, how long can they hold on?

More importantly, if they don't make a choice quickly, once others make a choice first and replace them in the era of carbon-based chips.

Then they will face real death.

Don't overestimate the conscience of capital. They are capital themselves and know very well that capital has no conscience.

Perhaps making this choice, abandoning their leading position in the field of silicon-based semiconductors, relying on carbon-based chips, relying on companies that once looked up to them to survive, and doing secondary production is a difficult choice.

But what if all this is for survival?

They have no other choice.

In fact, it is not only Qualcomm that wants to betray the silicon-based semiconductor alliance and join the embrace of carbon-based chips.

Before Qualcomm started to act, someone had already come to the door.

In Jinling, at the celebration banquet of the carbon-based chip product launch conference, Xu Chuan held a dinner plate and picked food around the long and narrow buffet table in the huge banquet hall.

Although he has never been interested in such banquets, after all, he can't eat well, and there will always be people disturbing him when he is eating.

But he could not resist the warm invitation of Mr. Ren from Warwick, so he had to agree to attend the banquet.

Before he could pick up a few slices of golden and crispy roast duck from the table and put them on his plate, a middle-aged man in a suit and tie, with waxed and neatly combed hair, came over with champagne.

"Academician Xu, nice to meet you, I finally have the honor to meet you."

The middle-aged man holding champagne had a smile on his face, walked over quickly from not far away, and greeted him with a smile.

Staring at him up and down, Xu Chuan put the roast duck on his plate and asked, "Who are you?"

"Sorry, sorry, my name is James Duke, I work as a technical consultant at Oracle, this is my business card."

Speaking fluent Chinese, James Duke quickly took out a business card from his pocket and handed it over respectfully.

Oracle?

Hearing this name, Xu Chuan curiously took the business card from the man in front of him and glanced at it.

There was only a name and a phone number on the simple black and white business card.

It seems that the man named James Duke should have a high status in Oracle.

"What's the matter?"

Xu Chuan asked casually, and he didn't care about the other party's background. He picked up a piece of roast duck from the plate and stuffed it into his mouth.

James Duke smiled and said, "It's like this, Academician Xu, I have read your two papers on carbon-based chips published in the journal "Exploration". I have to say that they are really well written."

"So you came to talk to me about the paper?"

After chewing a few bites of the crispy roast duck and swallowing it, Xu Chuan asked curiously.

"Well, not really."

With an awkward smile, James Duke said, "I'm bothering you this time because I want to talk to you about cooperation in the field of carbon-based chips."

Hearing this, Xu Chuan suddenly felt bored and shook his head and replied, "Carbon-based chip cooperation is not my business. If you want to discuss cooperation, go to the official website of Xinghai Research Institute and check it out. There are contact channels there."

Since he published the two papers in the journal "Exploration", there have been countless people who have come to discuss cooperation.

Although most of them were handled by his assistant, there are always some who slipped through the net and got emails and phone numbers from nowhere, or like now, found others at a certain site.

After rejecting the other party's invitation to cooperate, Xu Chuan was ready to leave with the plate.

Although he promised Mr. Ren to help support the celebration banquet, to be honest, he came to have lunch, and filling his stomach was the most important thing.

Seeing Xu Chuan's refusal on the spot, James Duke was a little anxious and said quickly: "Ten minutes, just ten minutes, it won't take up much of your time."

"I mainly want to talk to you about the application of carbon-based chips in large databases and AI intelligent applications. Carbon-based chips are simply perfect chips in this regard in my opinion."

Hearing about large databases and AI intelligent applications, Xu Chuan, who was originally preparing to leave directly, stopped.

After thinking for a while, he looked at the Oracle executive and said, "Okay, in this case, you go find a seat over there first, and I'll prepare the food first."

Although there have been substantial breakthroughs in carbon-based chip technology and overtaking in the semiconductor field. But how to promote the layout of the entire industrial chain is still a matter that takes time and even requires solving a lot of troubles.

After all, in addition to the pressure from the entire silicon-based semiconductor field, there are more competitions at the national level.

It is definitely not an easy or smooth thing to change the face of such a huge market.

Of course, these are not important to him, nor are they in his field of concern. There are so many people in China who can handle them well.

However, the large database and AI intelligent applications mentioned by James Duke did give him a little interest.

He has a company in this field.

Chuanhai Network Technology Co., Ltd. is still managed by Liu Jiaxin, and she also called to ask about this issue two days ago. It seems that she wants to follow up in the field of carbon-based chips.

PS: A friend suddenly came today and took me to climb Yuelu Mountain to see the Orange Island. I walked a long way and was almost exhausted. I will leave the update to tomorrow. I really don’t have the energy to write. Sorry (.＿.) I’m sorry~