NXP：想做中国人生意，只能“更中国”

以外人的眼光来看，中国充满希望、神秘以及让人惊讶的矛盾。在某方面，中国对任何一个希望能进入庞大市场的人来说，是一块拥有终极商机的土地；在另一方面，中国的威胁已经升高到成为美国最大的竞争者──或者它已经是了。也许我们并不完全羡慕中国，但我们已经开始对这个国家产生畏惧。 事实上，我们对中国的感觉似乎很容易因为种种经济、社会或政治因素，而在两个极端之间摆荡；这些变动因素使得在中国做生意比你听到的更困难。西方业者想进军中国市场，需要学会管理期望以及对无法预期的状况做准备，还必须愿意维持长远的眼光，并为了长期作战订定经营策略。 最近笔者有机会与恩智浦半导体(NXP Semiconductors)资深副总裁Drue Freeman对谈，对这家荷兰厂商对经营中国市场的勤奋以及几乎有条不紊颇感佩服。在近两年前，我曾采访过恩智浦首席执行官Rick Clemmer，他说：“今日的恩智浦实际上是一家中国公司。”(参考阅读) 大概是注意到我吓得差点从椅子上跌下来，Clemmer接着解释，恩智浦在中国赚到的钱比其他任何一个国家都多；在2012年，恩智浦在中国市场的营收几乎是其欧洲市场营收的两倍，而且该公司每三个员工就有一个是驻在中国，在当地员工总数有8,000名人。 时间快转到两年后，负责恩智浦全球汽车市场业务与营销的Freeman，在被问到该公司与中国国营企业大唐电信(Datang Telecom Technology)合资成立无晶圆厂车用芯片设计的动机时，他的回答是：“我们一直认为需要变得比原来‘更中国’。”什…什么？更中国？ 值得注意的是，恩智浦已经是中国汽车市场最大的芯片供货商；根据Strategy Analytics 的统计数据，恩智浦2012年在中国汽车市场占有率达10.5%，地位屹立不摇。 如Freeman表示，不同于系统业者──像是在中国做生意的海外汽车业者──芯片供货商在中国并未被要求以合资公司的形式存在；既是如此，为何还要费事成立大唐恩智浦半导体(Datang NXP Semiconductors)？特别是恩智浦必须放下身段，接受仅拥有该合资公司49%股权的条件。(参考阅读) 在 2011年将办公室移至中国，而且一直到去年底都居住在当地的Freeman，有务实的眼光。他指出，恩智浦的汽车芯片业主要是锁定连网汽车以及无钥匙门锁应用：“现实的情况是，中国汽车芯片市场将随着时间有所变化。”他预见中国政府会在合法的范围之内，给予中国本地业者一些特殊待遇。 市 场研究机构IHS最近有一篇报告指出，中国车用半导体市场今年将可取得11%的成长率，主要成长动力来自汽车消费者对车辆添加安全性功能，以及各种包括导 航在内的车用信息娱乐功能之需求。有鉴于中国本地的无晶圆厂芯片业者是如何迅速崛起、主导智能手机与平板装置SoC市场，预期未来中国芯片业者将在汽车应用领域崛起也并非不合理。 因为被中国市场的规模迷住了而积极想进入，是一种非常投机取巧的想法；Freeman表示：“你能在短时间之内赚到很多钱，但也很容易适得其反。”西方业者进入中国市场，须留意一些经常出现的“软性”贸易壁垒；因此恩智浦若想维持在中国汽车芯片市场 的领导地位，Freeman还是老话一句：你需要“更中国”。 本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载 本文下一页：恩智浦在能源转换技术领域的长处

相关阅读：
• 恩智浦NFC控制器与Android 4.4实现强强联姻
• 恩智浦在MWC 2014展示“智慧生活，安全连结”
• 锁定中国EV市场，大唐恩智浦押对宝了吗？R2wesmc

{pagination} 恩智浦在能源转换技术领域的长处 恩智浦与大唐的合资公司有几个有趣的地方，首先是它被恩智浦称为“中国首家真正专注于汽车芯片的公司”，但是其业务焦点却非目前恩智浦车用半导体相关产品线所能用武之地，而是锁定混合动力车辆与电动车。 Freeman 表示，更具体的说，大唐恩智浦将专注于经营电动车/混合动力车辆应用的“电池管理与能量转换芯片”，包括DC-DC转换器、功率与能量转换器等等通常被称 之为“闸极驱动器(gate driver)”的技术：“我们在电池管理与能量转换解决方案所需的部分功能区块上，拥有一些知识产权(IP)与专利。” 在 被问到恩智浦是否会将那些IP利用在自家芯片，Freeman的答案是“否”： “虽然那些点子都很不错，但被认为不符合我们对车用半导体市场的策略重点。”恩智浦在汽车应用市场专注于连网汽车应用。至于被问到恩智浦IP似乎是新合资公司研发基础时，Freeman则解释：“我们的工程师在讨论成立合资 公司之前，已经工作了2~3年时间。” Freeman不愿透露太多恩智浦在电池管理以及能量转换技术领域所开发的IP内容， 被问到是否有潜在竞争者时，他则表示：“我想应该是没有。”但如果该技术与模拟与混合信号相关，像是凌力尔特(Linear)、德州仪器(TI)、亚德诺 (ADI)等公司的技术难道不类似吗？他表示：“有可能，但并没听过任何一家竞争厂商宣布在中国市场有电动车或混合动力车的相关成果，我们认为我们的技术 非常独特。” 对恩智浦来说，目前是在中国建立专注于电动车之汽车芯片合资公司的最佳时机。首先是因为中国政府刚在去年9月公布了新一轮的节能车辆补助，目标是在2020年让500万辆节能车上路。此外，混合动力车辆与电动车将会是一个中国汽车业者有机会大幅领先西方与日本同业的领域。 Freeman 指出，在一般车辆技术上，中国还面临许多竞争对手，但：“为何中国该试着在西方业者所订定的游戏规则里尝试打败他们？”于是恩智浦选择了没有包袱的电动车领域，来精进其技术。他认为，由于传统汽车仍有大量提升效率的空间，美国、欧洲与日本等地车厂的投资也大多是朝着这个方向，因此对于像是Tesla或一些 中国车厂等新进者来说，电动车市场有很大的商机。 中国政府对于在电动车市场投资数十亿美元非常认真，也为中国本土业者以及芯片供货商提供了所需的开放性；藉由成为一家中国合资企业的股东，恩智浦将有机会取得中国政府的研发补助，而届时其“变得更中国”的策略也将收效。大唐恩智浦预定在下个月正式开张营业。 本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载 编译：Judith Cheng 参考英文原文：NXP: 'We Need to Be More Chinese'，by Junko Yoshida

相关阅读：
• 恩智浦NFC控制器与Android 4.4实现强强联姻
• 恩智浦在MWC 2014展示“智慧生活，安全连结”
• 锁定中国EV市场，大唐恩智浦押对宝了吗？R2wesmc

{pagination} NXP: 'We Need to Be More Chinese' Junko Yoshida, Chief International Correspondent MADISON, Wis. — Viewed from the outside, China often appears to be a nation full of promise, mystery, and startling contradictions. On one hand, China is the ultimate land of opportunity -- for anyone hoping to tap the huge market. On the other hand, China threatens to grow into our biggest competitor -- or it already has. If we don't entirely admire China, we are in awe -- and fear -- of China. Indeed, sentiments toward China tend to swing to either extreme so easily because of economic, social, or political upheavals. This volatility makes doing business in China a lot tougher than anyone cares to admit. In China, Western companies need to learn to manage their own expectations and stay prepared for the unexpected. They must be willing to hold the long view and develop a strategy for the long haul. In my recent conversation with Drue Freeman, senior vice president of NXP Semiconductors, I was struck by the Dutch company's diligent and almost methodical approach to China. It was almost two years ago when I first heard NXP CEO Rick Clemmer tell me in an interview: "NXP today is practically a Chinese company." Noticing that I almost fell off my chair, Clemmer went on to explain that NXP makes more money in China than in any other single country. By 2012, NXP's shipment-based revenue in Greater China was already twice as big as its European revenue, and one in every three employees at NXP was located in China. The Dutch company employs 8,000 people there. Now, fast forward two years later. When Freeman, responsible for NXP's global automotive sales and marketing, was asked what drove NXP to form a fabless automotive chip joint venture in China with China's state-owned Datang Telecom Technology Co., he simply said: "We've kept thinking that we need to be more Chinese than we already are." What? Needing to be more Chinese? Why JV? It's important to note that NXP has already become the biggest chip supplier in China's automotive market, with 10.5 percent market share in 2012, according to statistics compiled by Strategy Analytics. The Dutch company's automotive business is holding its own in China. Unlike system companies -- like car OEMs from abroad doing business in China -- chip vendors are not required to form JVs in China, according to Freeman. So why bother to found Datang NXP Semiconductors Co. Ltd., especially when NXP had to swallow its pride and accept a minority stake (49 percent)? Freeman, who moved his office to China in April 2011 and lived there until late last year, takes a practical view. Noting that NXP's automotive chip business is mostly centered on connected cars and keyless entry, Freeman told me, "The reality in China is that the [automotive chip] market will evolve over time." He foresees a shift whereby the Chinese government, while remaining within legal boundaries, would give preferential treatment to China's domestic players. As IHS Technology's recent research report noted, China's automotive semiconductor market is set for 11 percent growth in revenue this year, largely driven by an increasing desire among car buyers for added vehicle safety features and infotainment applications like car navigation. Given how quickly China's fabless chip companies have risen to dominate smartphone and tablet SoC markets, it's not unreasonable to picture the rise of Chinese chip companies in the automotive sector. It's one thing to go after the Chinese market, mesmerized by its size, in a very opportunistic way. "You could make a lot of money in a very brief period. But that can backfire easily," says Freeman. Western companies need to go into the Chinese market mindful of the "soft" trade barriers that often arise. To maintain a leadership role in the Chinese automotive chip market, NXP maintains Freeman's mantra: You need to be more Chinese. NXP's IP in energy conversion NXP's JV with Datang is interesting in several ways. The venture is what NXP calls "China's first true, dedicated automotive chip company." But the focus of its business has nothing to do with NXP's current product lines in the automotive semiconductor market. It's uniquely set up to go after the hybrid and EV market. More specifically, the venture is focused on "battery management and energy conversion" chips for EVs and hybrids, explained Freeman. The JV's focus will be on DC-to-DC conversion, power conversion, and energy conversion, often described as "gate driver" technology, Freeman said. "We have IPs and patents on functional blocks for some of those battery management and energy conversion solutions." Asked if NXP has leveraged any such IP in its own chips, Freeman said no. "Even though those are great ideas, they were considered outside our strategic focus on the automotive semiconductor segment at NXP." NXP's key focus has been connected cars. Asked about the NXP IP that appears to be the basis for the new JV's R&D, Freeman explained, "Our engineers had worked on it at least two to three years, prior to our JV discussion." Freeman remains vague about the exact IP NXP has developed in battery management and energy conversion. Asked about potential competitors, he said, "I'd like to say there are none." If the technology is related to analog and mixed signals, wouldn't companies such as Linear Technology, Texas Instruments, and Analog Devices have something similar? "They might. But none of the competitors had announced anything in China around EV or hybrid that we had heard. We think we have pretty unique technology." For NXP, there is no better time and place for establishing an automotive chip JV focused on EVs now in China. For one, the Chinese government announced a new round of clean car subsidies in September as part of its effort to get 5 million new energy-efficient vehicles on the road by 2020. It is an ambitious goal in a country grappling with some of the world's worst air pollution. Further, hybrids and EVs will be an area where China can leapfrog carmakers from the West and Japan. While acknowledging that China faces a lot of catchup with regular cars, Freeman said, "Why should China try to beat the Western car OEMs at their own game?" Much better, he said, for NXP to pick EVs -- where there is no legacy -- to advance its technologies. With substantial efficiency gains still to be had in conventional cars, investment by US, European, and Japanese car OEMs will continue in that direction, speculated Freeman. This opens a huge opportunity for newcomers such as Tesla or Chinese car companies in the EV market. The Chinese government is serious about spending billions to develop the EV market, providing Chinese domestic car OEMs and chip suppliers the opening they need. NXP, by becoming a minority shareholder of the China-based JV, will have access to Chinese government R&D subsidies. That's when becoming "more Chinese" will pay off. Datang NXP Semiconductors Co., based in Rudong, is scheduled to hold an opening ceremony next month.