Tongfu Microelectronics. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Three Nantong-based companies have been granted approval to establish provincial-level key laboratories, as part of a broader initiative by Jiangsu province to strengthen industry-led research and development.

The labs will be spearheaded by Tongfu Microelectronics, Zhongtian Technology Precision Materials, and Nantong Jianghai Capacitor, in collaboration with universities, research institutes, and other corporate partners. The projects are in emerging sectors including integrated circuits and new energy storage systems.

Tongfu Microelectronics, working with Southeast University and its affiliate, will lead one of the labs, named the Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of System-Level High-Power-Density Advanced Packaging.

The lab's research will target critical bottlenecks in AI computing and high-end chip packaging, with a focus on third-generation semiconductors and co-packaged optics. The effort aims to advance high-power-density packaging technologies and drive industrial upgrades across the supply chain.

Its work is positioned to support the broader integrated circuit cluster in Jiangsu, while also providing packaging solutions for strategic sectors such as AI infrastructure, intelligent robotics, and commercial space exploration.

Nantong has in recent years stepped up its focus on integrating technological innovation with industrial development. The city has issued guidelines to encourage R&D facility upgrades, with an emphasis on emerging and future-oriented industries. Under a model that promotes collaboration between leading enterprises and academic institutions, the city has been pushing forward the restructuring and development of provincial-level labs, alongside the construction of municipal-level labs.