[News] Hong Kong Reportedly Joins Silicon Race with RISC-V Data Center Chip, Eyes 1Q26 Mass Production

In a surprising turn for the region, Hong Kong has emerged as the launchpad for s RISC-V–based data center management chip, the Lion Rock Chip, according to Chinese media outlet Jiemian News.

Developed by StarFive Technology, the chip is already in trial production and has secured initial customer orders, with full-scale production slated for Q1 2026, according to CEO Xu Tao, cited by the report. The report highlights its target applications, including AI servers, edge computing, and smart energy, with plans to deploy the chip in local Hong Kong data centers.

As Jiemian explains, RISC-V, the open-source fifth-generation instruction set architecture launched in 2010, stands alongside x86 and ARM as a potential global next-generation chip standard. Its open, extensible nature offers a chance for regions to leapfrog in chip development, the report notes.

In March, government-owned Hong Kong Investment Management Ltd. made a strategic investment in StarFive Technology to help drive the local RISC-V ecosystem, integrating chip design, system development, and application resources, the report says.

Notably, this is not the only effort Hong Kong has made recently on semiconductors. As Wen Wei Po previously reported, in 2024, the Hong Kong government established the Hong Kong Microelectronics R&D Institute to research and develop core third-generation semiconductor technologies. The institute has set up two pilot production lines for third-generation semiconductors, focusing on silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) materials, which are expected to go online and begin operations in the first half of next year, the report noted.

(Photo credit: StarFive)