Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited and StarFive Strategic Partnership Kick-off Ceremony Cum Inaugural Hong Kong RISC-V Development Summit to Jointly Promote the Development of RISC-V Industry and Application Ecosystem (March 2025)

(Hong Kong, 21st March) Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited (HKIC) and StarFive Semiconductor Co. Ltd (StarFive) have embarked on a strategic partnership to jointly promote the construction of an RISC-V ecosystem in Hong Kong and the establishment of industry clusters. The collaboration will accelerate the application of this rapidly advancing technology in the semiconductor industry and deepen its development in Hong Kong.

Under this strategic partnership, StarFive will enhance its efforts in RISC-V chip design, development, application implementation, talent cultivation, and ecosystem building in Hong Kong. Following the HKIC and StarFive Strategic Partnership Kick-off Ceremony (“Ceremony”), StarFive hosted the first Hong Kong RISC-V Development Summit (“Summit”), bringing together industry leaders and experts to discuss Hong Kong's unique advantages in this developmental pathway, as well as how to accelerate the research and development, manufacturing, and application of RISC-V chips.

A RISC-V Ecosystem Joint Laboratory is also being established by StarFive with the City University of Hong Kong (“CityU”), along with a partnership with server solution provider xFusion to create a joint innovation center for digital smart future. The initiative will combine academic research strengths with cutting-edge industry applications, propelling the Hong Kong RISC-V ecosystem into a new phase of accelerated collaboration amongst government, investment, industry, academia, and research sectors.

In addition, the HKIC has joined the RISC-V Ecosystem & Industry of China Electronics Standardization Association (“RVEI”) as a corporate member. Such membership will allow the HKIC to leverage Hong Kong's international platform advantages and industry resources to engage more technology companies in research and development and participate in the development of industry standards, with a view to accelerating the application of technological outcomes.

At the Ceremony, Mr Paul Chan, the Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (“HKSAR”) Government delivered a video address alongside Ms Clara Chan, the Chief Executive Officer of the HKIC, Mr Alan Chan, the Founding Investor and Board Director of StarFive, Mr Zhou Meng, the Secretary-General of the RVEI and Mr Thomas Xu, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of StarFive.

Mr Paul Chan said, “The rapid development of RISC-V, which adopts an open-source architecture, will accelerate the transformation of the chip industry. With its open-source and simple nature, research and product design teams have more room to innovate and experiment in chip design, intelligent computing and electronic product development. The characteristics of the RISC-V architecture, combined with Hong Kong's advantages, can scale our contributions to industry co-creation, international cooperation and talent development to new heights. With the full support of the HKSAR Government, the wholehearted commitment of the HKIC and the active participation of technology companies, we will be able to fast track the development of a self-reliant technology ecosystem in the advancement of RISC-V technology, thereby making greater contributions to the nation's high-level technological self-reliance and self-strengthening.”

Ms Clara Chan remarked, "Hard technology is one of the core themes of the HKIC, and RISC-V has been a focal point for us. Its open-source characteristics lower the cost threshold, facilitating global corporate participation in innovative experimentation. Its simple instruction set architecture and flexible scalability enhance chip efficiency and promote widespread applications of smarter computing power. As patient capital, the HKIC's participation in the RVEI and our strategic partnership with StarFive reflect our proactive approach to better connect Mainland China and international tech talents and enterprises, leveraging Hong Kong's strengths in innovation and technology with strong support of the Motherland and being closely connected to the world.”

Mr Alan Chan commented, “In 2018, our team at Full Vision Capital foresaw the advent of a new era driven by AI and IoT. With the explosive development of AI, IoT, and data centers, high-performance chip technology must be in place to support them. As we enter the age of intelligent robotics, there must be a need for refined, personalised, and customised chip solutions to meet various requirements across different application scenarios. This foresight led to the incubation of StarFive, which has developed into a leader in the RISC-V hardware and software ecosystem within just seven years."

StarFive launched the Lion Rock project with the support of the HKIC in 2024. After 10 months of research and development, the project has successfully completed its first tape-out and is expected to enter mass production in the end of this year.

Mr Zhou Meng stated in a video address, “The RISC-V industry is currently transitioning from a multi-application phase to a robust ecosystem phase. The RVEI will continue to serve as a bridge, supporting deeper collaboration between Hong Kong and Mainland China through our member, the HKIC. First, we aim to encourage more Hong Kong companies to join the RVEI and participate in the development of industry standards and technology development. Second, we will support the HKIC in partnering with leading RISC-V companies like StarFive to accelerate the application of technological outcomes in Hong Kong. Third, we will collaborate with Hong Kong universities to build talent pools, ensuring a strong pipeline of skilled professionals for the industry."

Mr Thomas Xu stated, “In light of our strategic partnership with the HKIC, we will deepen our research and development efforts in Hong Kong, and collaborate with more industry leaders and enterprises. We aim to create innovative RISC-V applications that contribute to Hong Kong's digital transformation and promote the development of New Productive Forces in the region. We will also significantly enhance our alignment with international standards in terms of technology, talent, capital, and data, strengthen the development of RISC-V talent in Hong Kong and make positive contributions to its emergence as a leading global innovation center."

The Ceremony attracted widespread interest from the technology, investment, and academic sectors, with over 300 guests attending the milestone event. More than 40 secondary school students were invited to participate, allowing them to learn the latest developments of the chip industry and related technologies.

The Summit, followed by the Ceremony, pooled together leaders from different sectors to envision a new future for Hong Kong's RISC-V landscape. Distinguished guests included Mr Nate Zhang, Global R&D President of StarFive, Mr Vandia Yang, President of xFusion South-East Asia, Mr Johnson Zhang, Managing Director of Corporate Market Division of China Mobile Hong Kong Company Limited, Mr Yang Jun, Chief Operating Officer-Extended Business and Managing Director of Towngas Lifestyle, and Prof Ray Cheung, Associate Provost (Digital Learning) of CityU. The guests shared their insights on the development of RISC-V in Hong Kong. The Summit highlighted Hong Kong's unique advantages in the deep integration of industry, academia, research, and application within the open-source chip ecosystem, providing multi-dimensional support to transform the city into a global RISC-V innovation hub.