By Kate Yuan

China has grown huge influences on RISC-V, an open source-based semiconductor design architecture. Among the 25 “Premier Members” of the RISC-V International, 13 are Chinese companies and institutions, accounting for more than half, South Korean media etnews reported on December 26.

It is interpreted as a stepping stone for China, which is subject to US export restrictions on advanced technologies, to secure leadership in RISC-V and increase its market influence.

At its inception, RISC-V International was led by US companies, and only a few Chinese companies participated. Many semiconductor design companies are turning their eyes to RISC-V to reduce IP royalties and license costs, which are rapidly rising due to the advancement of semiconductor processes.

Market research firm Semico Research reportedly predicted that RISC-V-based CPU IP would record an average annual growth rate of 34.9% over the next five years. This is an explosive growth compared to all semiconductor IPs that are expected to grow at around 9% annually. In the case of AI chips, 25 billion may be made based on RISC-V by 2027, said the etnews report.