BLOCK Issue 4

Turing Industries has been working since late last year
with the Silicon Coast (Shanghai Lin-gang Special Area)
government officials on the preliminary planning for
the new semiconductor tera-fab. The total investment
will be US$12billion, with the project divided into two
phases. Phase-I involves US$6billion investment.
Turing Industries have already signed an agreement
with the Silicon Coast with the government fronting a
negotiated investment amount to cover a part of the
phase-I investment. To us that’s a huge undertaking by
the government, and goes to show their commitment to
supporting the Turing tera-fab initiative. The remaining
amount will be invested via a new investment fund also
led by Turing Industries called the Turing Imagine Fund.
Turing Imagine Fund is riding the same Silicon Coast
wave by which the central Chinese government aims to
transform Shanghai into a leading international finance
center with key trials and projects taking place in the
Shanghai Lin-gang Special Area. Turing Imagine Fund is
in the process of negotiating a QFLP fund licence which
will allow Turing to raise funds, with compliance, both
internationally and domestically.
WHAT WILL THE TERA-FAB’S BUSINESS MODEL BE?
At the heart of Turing SMX, (the name of the tera-fab),
is production of non-volatile memory chips for Artificial
Memory Intelligence inference programs and machines.
While there is already fierce competition in the space,
according to our estimate the rest of the tech world will be
switching to memory-oriented neuromorphic computation
within the next decade in response to lowering carbon
footprint and more importantly to brace for an explosion of
computational needs in the post-AI era.
Turing SMX has already signed up partners that are in
dire need of next generation non-volatile memory chips
for their clients in the telecommunications, EV and even
space industries. A typical fab would take at least 5 years
before it sees profitability, however Turing SMX will go
against the stream and break even by year one.
HOW DO YOU SEE SUCH AMBITIOUS PROJECTS LIFT-
OFF AMID THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS?
As Alan Turing put it, “We can only see a short distance
ahead, but we can see plenty there that needs to be
done.” I wouldn’t say it’s an ambitious project! I regard
ambitious projects as those planning to leave our planet.
All jokes aside, there is indeed a need for Turing Industries
to play a part in the development of a true AI.
“ While there is already
fierce competition in
the space, we will turn
to memory-oriented
neuronal computing
to meet low-carbon
emissions requirements “
18 | #AIBCsummit Issue 4