One of the leading Chinese manufacturers of home appliances, Gree Electric, which is also the largest producer of residential air conditioners globally, has recently shared that its six-year effort to create its own processor has finally succeeded. Unfortunately, specifics about this new chip and its intended use are still not disclosed.
A Step Towards Independence
Gree Electric's chairwoman, Dong Mingzhu, stated that this processor represents "a significant milestone in our journey towards technological self-sufficiency." Given the reasons that led the company to pursue this technology, it’s likely that the chip will be used in air conditioning systems and other household appliances.
Background of the Development
Back in 2018, Gree set up a subsidiary dedicated to designing chips specifically for air conditioners since the company was investing around $550 million each year on chips produced by other firms. Earlier this year, in March, Gree revealed its intentions to build a chip factory, which was anticipated to commence production in June. Although it’s possible that the start date for production has been postponed (this has not been confirmed), it is clear that Gree Electric is now among the self-sufficient chip manufacturers in China. It remains uncertain how long it will take for them to compete with global giants like Intel and AMD, if that ever occurs in the near future.
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