Intellectual Property Servicing Centre Opens at Hong Kong Science Park; Establishes IP Servicing Platform for the Semiconductor Industry

HONG KONG -- June 21, 2006 — Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) today inaugurated the Intellectual Property Servicing Centre (IPSC) at the Hong Kong Science Park, marking a significant milestone for intellectual property (IP) protection development of the semiconductor industry.

Based within the Hong Kong Integrated Circuits Design Centre at the Park, IPSC offers IP licensing, IP hardening, IP integration and IP verification services. Most notably, the Centre provides a sound legal framework for semiconductor intellectual property (SIP) development to protect the technological investment for the integrated circuit (IC) design companies and to enhance the IC industry development.

The IPSC is run by HKSTP and will make use of Hong Kong law for any legal dispute over intellectual property. A key vehicle for this will be the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre which is based in the SAR.

“The semiconductor industry has been growing rapidly in Asia resulting in many IC design activities shifting from the US and Europe to lower cost countries in the region. The IPSC provides enterprises with the most advanced platform of services governed by global best practices and the rule of IP protection law,” said Mr. Carlos Genardini, Chief Executive Officer of HKSTP.

Since its establishment in 2001, the HKSTP has dedicated itself to IC and associated SIP development by forming close and strong alliances with professional IC associations as well as the leading universities.

In 2003, HKSTP, the China Beijing Semiconductor Industry Association (CBSIA), the Taiwan SOC Consortium (TSOCC) and the Chinese American Semiconductor Professional Association (CASPA) signed a collaborative agreement to establish the Greater China Semiconductor Intellectual Property Trading Centre (GCSIPTC) with the aim of facilitating and promoting proper reuse of SIP to meet the internationally recognized standards and business practices.

In 2004, HKSTP formed alliance with Korea System Integration and Intellectual Property Authoring Centre (SIPAC) to jointly-develop and expand the IP trading platform, SIPAC will be able to introduce superior domestic IPs to overseas markets by building powerful IP database standards between the two parties. Through this collaboration, both SIPAC and HKSTP have taken an important step to drive the adoption and development of IP/System on Circuit (SoC) standards in Asia. The goal is to establish a centralized international IP exchange system and trading network that will benefit manufacturers throughout Asia and help them to better compete globally.

Under the “7+1” IC Design Centre framework signed with the High-Technology Research & Development Centre of the PRC’s Ministry of Science & Technology, HKSTP jointly collaborated with Harbin Institute of Technology, Hefei University of Science and Technology, Zhejiang University and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in July 2005 to extend the SIP trading platform throughout Greater China. The collaboration is to develop a due diligence platform in legal and technical terms for SIP certification and authentication purposes.

In October 2005, HKSTP also formed alliance with the China’s Ministry of Information Industry Software and Integrated Circuit Promotion Centre (CSIP) for the Mainland China IC design industry. The alliance is to promote the cooperation and development of Mainland China’s IC enterprises under the guidance and supervision of the administrative bodies, to jointly facilitate the outreach and popularization of SIP in SoC design services, as well as to standardise the SIP design, SIP standard promotion and SIP protection mechanism.

From left: Mr. S.W. Cheung, Vice President of Business Development and Technology Support, HKSTP; Ir Dr. W.K. Lo, Vice President of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers; Mr. Carlos Genardini, Chief Executive Officer of HKSTP; Dr. Roland Chin, Vice President for Research and Development of HKUST and Prof. Joshua Wong, President of Hong Kong Semiconductor Industry Council of HKEIA, officiated at the Intellectual Property Servicing Centre Launch Ceremony.

About Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation

Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) is a statutory body set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

HKSTP provides innovative and technology driven infrastructure and support facilities which includes market focused clustered laboratory services enabling Hong Kong industries and services to be more competitive; full-service incubation programme for technology start-ups; and foster partnerships and collaboration between industry and universities/applied research institutes through consulting, training and research programmes. HKSTP offers advanced facilities and support services for high technology companies that include an IC Design/Development Support Centre and a Photonics Development Support Centre.

More information about HKSTP is available at www.hkstp.org.