SHENZHEN-BASED Powev Electronic Technology Co. Ltd. said it had started mass production of the country’s first locally designed and made memory module, Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported Thursday.

The move marks a major step for China’s push for complete self-reliance in semiconductors as well as another breakthrough achieved by Shenzhen’s high-tech industry.

Rows of memory modules and solid-state disks (SSDs) of Powev’s Gloway Pro series are being produced, tested and packaged in the company’s factory in Pingshan District, according to the Daily.

The memory modules of the Gloway Pro series were officially launched on e-commerce platforms at the end of April this year, with first-day sales exceeding 5,000 modules. The SSDs were also well received by consumers after they hit the market in May, said the company.

According to Powev, the two products, already verified by domestic module manufacturers and computer manufacturers, have reached an advanced level globally and can replace foreign imports.

“At present, the domestic chip industry generally relies on manual testing, which is a relatively backward method,” said Zhang Zhe, executive deputy general manager of Powev.

Zhang added that as dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) chip testing equipment from abroad is expensive, the company has independently developed a set of testing equipment.

According to Powev, its business volume has increased from 20 million yuan (US$2.86 million) in 2018 to 350 million yuan in 2019. The company is currently shifting more of its foreign operation to Pingshan. (Zhang Yu)