All departments under the Executive Committee:  

The Several Measures for Further Promoting the Development of the Integrated Circuit Industry in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin have been deliberated and approved by the Executive Committee of the Cooperation Zone and are hereby issued for your diligent implementation. Should any issues arise during implementation, please promptly report them to the Economic Development Bureau of the Cooperation Zone.

Executive Committee of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin

May 29, 2025

Several Measures for Further Promoting the Development of the Integrated Circuit Industry in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin

Contents

Chapter I Support for Enterprise Development

Chapter II Support for Talent Introduction and Training

Chapter III Support for Platform Development

Chapter IV Support for Guangdong-Macao Collaborative Innovation

Chapter V Supplementary Provisions

For the purpose of implementing the Master Plan for the Construction of Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, vigorously developing the integrated circuit industry, accelerating the establishment of a microelectronics industry chain featuring unique chip design, testing and inspection, and promoting the moderate diversification of Macao’s economy, these Measures are hereby formulated in accordance with the Outline for Promoting the Development of the National Integrated Circuit Industry, the Notice by the State Council on Issuing Several Policies for Promoting the High-Quality Development of the Integrated Circuit Industry and the Software Industry in the New Era (No.8 [2020] of the State Council), and the Notice of Issuing Several Opinions on Accelerating the Development of the Semiconductor and Integrated Circuit Industry in Guangdong Province (No.2 [2020] of the General Office of the People’s Government of Guangdong Province), while taking into full consideration the actual circumstances of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin (hereinafter referred to as the “Cooperation Zone”).

Chapter ISupport for Enterprise Development

Article 1.Support for Enterprises to Increase Investment

1. For entities that cumulatively make new paid-in capital contributions in monetary form of no less than RMB 10 million, a one-time reward of up to RMB 5 million may be granted, calculated at 10% of their new paid-in capital;

2. For entities in key sectors supported by the Cooperation Zone that cumulatively make new paid-in capital contributions in monetary form of no less than RMB 10 million, a reward of up to RMB 20 million may be granted, calculated at 10% of their new paid-in capital. This reward shall be disbursed in two installments at a 4:6 ratio;

3. For cleanrooms that meet the cleanliness level standard of Class 100,000 or above, a one-time subsidy of up to RMB 1 million may be granted, at a rate of RMB 200 per square meter.

Article 2.Support for Enterprise R&D and Innovation

1. Multi-Project Wafer (MPW) and First-Run Engineering Tape-Out Subsidies

(1) For enterprises or research institutions conducting MPW tape-outs, an annual subsidy of up to RMB 5 million may be provided, calculated at 70% of the tape-out expenses;

(2) For enterprises or research institutions conducting full-mask first-run tape-outs prior to mass production, an annual subsidy of up to RMB 30 million may be provided, based on 50% of the tape-out expenses, specifically:

a. For processes of 14nm or less, the annual subsidy may be capped at RMB 25 million;

b. For processes of 28nm or less, the annual subsidy may be capped at RMB 15 million;

c. For automotive-grade chip processes of 90nm or less, the annual subsidy may be capped at RMB 10 million;

d. For other processes, the annual subsidy shall be capped at RMB 8 million.

2. IP Purchase, Reuse, and R&D Subsidies

(1) For enterprises or research institutions purchasing IP to conduct R&D in key supported fields, and upon recognition, an annual subsidy of up to RMB 3 million may be provided, calculated at 30% of the actual expenses;

(2) For enterprises or research institutions reusing IP from the integrated circuit public service platform to conduct R&D in key supported fields, and upon recognition, an annual subsidy of up to RMB 1 million may be provided, calculated at 50% of the actual expenses;

(3) For enterprises engaged in IP R&D, an annual subsidy of up to RMB 15 million may be provided, calculated at 30% of their self-invested R&D expenses.

3. EDA Tool Purchase, Rental, and R&D Subsidies

(1) For enterprises or research institutions purchasing EDA tool software (including software upgrade costs), an annual subsidy of up to RMB 3 million may be provided, calculated at 30% of the actual expenses;

(2) For enterprises or research institutions renting EDA tool software from the integrated circuit public service platform, an annual subsidy of up to RMB 3 million may be provided, calculated at 50% of the actual expenses;

(3) For enterprises engaged in the R&D of EDA tool software, an annual subsidy of up to RMB 15 million may be provided, calculated at 50% of their self-invested R&D expenses.

4. Testing and Verification Subsidies

(1) For entities providing testing and verification services for integrated circuit wafers or chip products in terms of functionality, performance, reliability, compatibility, and failure analysis in the Cooperation Zone, an annual subsidy of up to RMB 5 million may be provided, calculated at 50% of the actual revenue from providing such services to enterprises or institutions in Macao or the Cooperation Zone (with no equity relationship) in the previous year;

(2) For enterprises engaged in the R&D of equipment (including core components) and consumables related to testing and inspection in the Cooperation Zone, upon recognition, an annual subsidy of up to RMB 5 million may be granted, calculated at 50% of the enterprise’s self-invested R&D expenses.

5. Manufacturing and Packaging Subsidies

For enterprises in the Cooperation Zone engaged in the R&D of equipment related to integrated circuit manufacturing and packaging (including core components and software) or module processing, an annual subsidy of up to RMB 10 million may be provided, calculated at 20% of their self-invested R&D expenses.

6. Automotive-Grade Certification Subsidies

For integrated circuit enterprise products that pass automotive-grade qualification/certification, an annual subsidy of up to RMB 2 million may be granted, calculated at 30% of their actual compliance validation expenses.

7. Rewards for Industry Innovation Awards

Enterprises awarded the “China Chip” award by the China Center for Information Industry Development, the “China Semiconductor Innovative Product and Technology” title by the China Semiconductor Industry Association, or the “Integrated Circuit Industry Technology Innovation Award” by the China Integrated Circuit Innovation Alliance may receive a one-time incentive of RMB 300,000.

Chapter II Support for Talent Introduction and Training

Article 3.Support for Talent Introduction

For R&D personnel and senior management of integrated circuit enterprises in the Cooperation Zone, R&D personnel of research institutions in the Cooperation Zone, and R&D personnel of Macao companies affiliated with enterprises in the Cooperation Zone, who have signed labor contracts of three years or more, an annual reward may be provided based on their total wage and salary income from the previous year. The specific standards are as follows:

1. For an annual salary of RMB 300,000 (inclusive) to RMB 500,000 (exclusive), a reward of RMB 100,000 may be granted;

2. For an annual salary of RMB 500,000 (inclusive) or above, a reward of RMB 150,000 may be granted.

The number of senior management personnel eligible for this reward shall not exceed 10% of the total employees and shall not exceed 10 individuals.

If the applicant is a Macao resident or holds a bachelor’s degree or higher from a Macao university, the reward amount may be 150% of the above-mentioned standards.

Article 4.Support for Talent Training

1. For entities recognized as talent training bases for integrated circuits in the Cooperation Zone, an annual subsidy of RMB 1 million may be granted;

2. For R&D personnel who are trained at these bases and subsequently hired by integrated circuit enterprises or research institutions in the Cooperation Zone, an annual reward of RMB 30,000 per person may be granted to the base, up to a maximum of RMB 1 million per year per base;

3. Enterprises or research institutions that provide employee training at integrated circuit talent training bases recognized by the Cooperation Zone may receive annual subsidies of up to RMB 1 million, calculated at 50% of the actual training expenses;

4. Enterprises or research institutions that accept interns from integrated circuit-related majors at universities inside and outside the Chinese mainland may be eligible for an annual subsidy of up to RMB 1 million, calculated at RMB 5,000 per person per month.

Chapter III Support for Platform Development

Article 5.Support for Public Service Platform Development

Support may be provided to enterprises or institutions establishing public service platforms for the integrated circuit industry. These platforms shall deliver specialized operational management and public technical support, including pilot-scale R&D; integrated circuit design, EDA tools, and IP sharing; MPW, rapid packaging, and testing; and failure analysis, reliability verification, or certification of integrated circuits, equipment, and materials. Upon recognition, an annual subsidy of up to RMB 5 million may be granted, calculated at 30% of the actual investment in platform instruments and equipment (including software).

Article 6.Support for Park Operation Platform Development

Support may be provided for establishing specialized integrated circuit parks within the Cooperation Zone, aimed at attracting high-quality enterprises and high-end talent.

1. Park Operation Rewards

Starting from the registration year of a specialized park, its operating institution shall annually organize Cooperation Zone enterprises to participate in at least three domestic or international specialized integrated circuit exhibitions. Subject to this, a reward of RMB 5 million may be granted to the park operating institution each time the park’s incremental indicators meet one of the following criteria. The maximum total reward for any single park operating institution during the validity period of these Measures is RMB 10 million.

(1) The operating revenue (output value) of registered integrated circuit enterprises physically operating within the park increases by RMB 1 billion;

(2) The number of employees physically working within the park increases by at least 350, including a minimum of 200 R&D personnel, of whom no fewer than 20 earn an annual salary exceeding RMB 800,000;

(3) At least five park enterprises newly receive investment from the applicant’s own or cooperative investment funds.

2. “Zero-Cost Startup Space” Subsidies

(1) Support may be provided for establishing “Zero-Cost Startup Spaces” within specialized integrated circuit parks. These spaces shall serve entrepreneurs, startup teams, and early-stage enterprises by offering rent-free accommodation;

(2) Approved “Zero-Cost Startup Spaces” shall receive a rent subsidy not exceeding 100% of the rental rate assessed by a third-party professional agency. This subsidy will be provided for a continuous period of up to 36 months, covering a maximum area of 1,000 square meters.

Article 7.Support for Building Industry Exchange Platforms

Integrated circuit industry associations within the Cooperation Zone that organize industry events with at least 15, 30, or 50 participating units may receive subsidies of RMB 20,000, RMB 40,000, or RMB 60,000 per event, respectively. Each association is eligible for a maximum annual subsidy of RMB 1 million.

Chapter IV Support for Guangdong-Macao Collaborative Innovation

Article 8.Support for Macao-Hengqin Industry-Academia-Research Cooperation

For joint laboratories in the field of integrated circuits established by enterprises in the Cooperation Zone in collaboration with industry-academia-research demonstration bases of Macao universities, a subsidy of up to RMB 2 million per joint laboratory may be granted, calculated at 30% of the actual funds invested by the enterprise.

Article 9.Collaborative Development with Macao

Macao-invested enterprises meeting these Measures’ application conditions may receive rewards at 120% of the standards herein, provided the total does not exceed the maximum reward and subsidy limits stipulated in each Article.

Chapter V Supplementary Provisions

Article 10.Application Conditions

Reward and subsidy amounts for applicants shall be contingent upon the number of their on-site R&D personnel and industrialization investment.

Article 11. Applicant Requirements

Beneficiaries of these Measures shall be independent legal entities legally registered and substantively operating in the Cooperation Zone, engaged in integrated circuit or semiconductor industry-related businesses.

Article 12. Transition

These Measures shall take effect on January 1, 2025, and remain in effect until December 31, 2027.

Article 13. Registration of Applicants

To ensure effective rolling management of policy funds, enterprises applying under these Measures must promptly register their on-site office addresses on the enterprise and public benefit service platform of the Cooperation Zone (https://ycfz.hengqin.gov.cn) or other platforms designated by the Economic Development Bureau of the Cooperation Zone. These Measures shall apply only to entities completing such registration.

Article 14. Applicable Rules

1. Applicants receiving support under these Measures are not precluded from applying for other policy support and preferential treatment from national or Guangdong provincial authorities, except where such support is to be borne or matched by the Cooperation Zone’s finances, or as otherwise stipulated;

2. Where these Measures overlap or intersect with other policies issued by the Cooperation Zone or with similar policies for which higher-level authorities require the Cooperation Zone’s finances to bear or match, applicants shall select one policy and shall not make duplicate applications, unless otherwise stipulated;

3. Provisions in these Measures concerning “subsidies” apply only to projects funded by the applicant’s own funds (including government equity investment but excluding non-reimbursable financial aid from the Cooperation Zone). If non-reimbursable financial aid from the Cooperation Zone government is used, support under “subsidy”-related provisions may not be applied for again.

Article 15. The Economic Development Bureau of the Cooperation Zone will interpret these Measures. formulate implementation rules, and organize their execution.

This English translation is for reference only. The Chinese version shall prevail in case of any inconsistencies.