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TAIPEI, Nov. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

This article is based on an interview undertaken by FusionMedium's technology

online media, TechOrange, and published with permission:

In recent years, the high-tech manufacturing market has been making efforts to

respond to the demand for diversified smart devices. With an increasing demand

for customized AI chips, such components cannot be produced in traditional

supply chain models.

To meet the needs of tomorrow, Taiwan AI chip start-up Kneron has been

developing its own AI system on monolithic chips since 2015. The firm has

already established a presence in the United States, mainland China, Taiwan,

and Northeast Asia. Albert Liu, Founder & CEO of Kneron, said that since the

first day of operation, Kneron has stood by its mission of "making AI

ubiquitous", and expects that in the future, for every terminal device, Kneron

will be the provider of the intelligent AI chips that run it.

How does Kneron take the lead in the AI market? CEO Albert Liu: Fast, early and

hard-working

"We are just faster, earlier, and more determined than others." Compared with

the world's major manufacturers, Kneron realized the importance of implementing

applications early. So the chip maker started to focus on developing products

and customers from the time when the concept of edge AI was still new and yet

relatively unknown.

"In the process of AI industrialization, it is also important to know the

characteristics, acceptance, and timeline of each market," Liu said. Since the

Chinese market is highly receptive to new things and is open to the quick

introduction of new products, in 2016 Kneron partnered with Chinese Internet

companies Tencent Holdings and Baidu to roll out a pure cloud-based AI

algorithm service, acquiring a large amount of car data and gained a head start

in the industry.

Now in its seventh year, Kneron's product lines are divided into four major

categories. In the server market, customers include Quanta Computer and

Chunghwa Telecom. In the Internet of Things segment, customers include Hanwha

group, D-Link, and Italy's Spark Security. In automotive, customers are mainly

Chinese and Japanese brands, including Toyota and Nissan, among others. In

recent years, Kneron has also partnered with MIH Consortium and Zhongxing Bus.

Identifying the demand of a decentralized architecture for the vehicles of the

future, Kneron enters the automotive market with "Lego-style" chips

Liu said that the reason that Kneron decided to enter the automotive field in

2020 is closely related to the industrial introduction cycle. The introduction

cycle of the automotive pre-loading sector, from the start of a collaboration

to actual mass production, often spans 3 to 5 years. Currently, vendors are few

that can accommodate such a long partnership cycle and deliver AI, chip and

system solutions.

To meet the needs of application-side customers, Kneron's strategy is to

develop vertical product lines - software, applications, models, and underlying

chips - in a single package that can be adjusted simultaneously demonstrating

its flexibility and flexible differentiation advantage.

What are the future challenges for Taiwan's automotive supply chain?

Taiwanese manufacturers want to start solving the challenges faced by the

automotive market with AI chips. Commenting on this, Liu said frankly that the

innate lack of a complete automotive industry structure is Taiwan's biggest

challenge.

Liu said this is why Kneron still generates 70-80% of its revenue from overseas

markets. In addition, Kneron has been directly connecting with the world in

terms of both talent and market, including recruiting seasoned engineers and

executives from Taiwan, mainland China and the United States.

In addition to expanding into international markets, Kneron is actively

cultivating the local AI ecosystem in Taiwan, including promoting AI-related

education courses in rural elementary schools, high schools, and universities,

as well as joining the AI on Chip Industrial Cooperation Strategic Alliance

launched by the Smart Electronics Industry Project Promotion Office (SIPO) of

the Industrial Development Bureau of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The

Alliance also helped introduce partners from the upstream and downstream of the

industry chain to jointly invest in the development of core AI on Chip areas,

and expand the international visibility and competitiveness of Taiwan's AI

industry as a whole.

"Taiwan has mastered the three most important elements of the AI era: data,

cutting-edge algorithms, and computing power (semiconductors). With a solid

supply chain in Taiwan, we believe our prospects look promising for success in

the AI era. I look forward to the day we can give back to our hometown instead

of investing in businesses and national policies in other countries."

Contact: Shine Chiu, +886 919-031-282, shine@fusionmedium.com

Source: Fusionmedium