As artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC), high-speed networking, and edge computing applications continue to expand rapidly, global demand for custom ASIC solutions is rising at an unprecedented pace. Faced with the escalating design complexity and development costs associated with advanced process nodes at 6/5/4/3nm, balancing time-to-market, cost efficiency, and production quality has become a critical challenge for IC design companies and system vendors worldwide.
PGC (TPEx: 8227), with over 35 years of expertise in ASIC design services, is a member of the TSMC Design Center Alliance (DCA) and a Synopsys IP OEM Partner. With a track record of more than 1,500 tape-out projects and over 100 tape-outs completed annually, PGC delivers comprehensive capabilities spanning advanced-node design, APR (Automatic Place and Route), design verification, and volume production ramp. In response to growing market demand for advanced-node ASIC development, PGC announces the further enhancement of its Customer-Owned Tooling (COT) business model, integrating ASIC design services, IP resources, and semiconductor supply chain ecosystems to help customers shorten chip development cycles, accelerate tape-out, and rapidly secure engineering samples and production capacity.
COT Business Model: Balancing Design Ownership with Development Efficiency
The COT business model enables customers to retain ownership of critical design assets — including IP, EDA tool licenses, and design data — preserving their core intellectual property and technical autonomy while leveraging PGC's professional ASIC design team and proven design flows to jointly complete chip development. Compared to traditional turnkey models, COT effectively reduces long-term NRE (Non-Recurring Engineering) investment, eliminates vendor lock-in, and enhances flexibility for product iteration, multi-project development, and cross-generation platform continuity.
In practice, customers adopting the COT model have achieved development cycle reductions of over one month, along with long-term NRE cost savings of more than 10%, giving them greater autonomy and strategic flexibility in product planning and technology roadmap execution.
Synopsys IP OEM Partnership: Lowering IP Licensing Barriers and Accelerating Development
As a Synopsys IP OEM Partner, PGC provides customers with comprehensive Synopsys IP licensing and integration services. Customers can flexibly incorporate market-proven, high-quality IP based on project requirements, simplifying licensing processes, lowering upfront investment thresholds, and accelerating IP integration and verification through PGC's expertise — further shortening ASIC development cycles and time-to-market.
ASE Packaging and Test Integration: Bridging Design to Volume Production
In the area of packaging and test, PGC has established a close collaboration with ASE Group, integrating advanced packaging and test resources to provide customers with comprehensive production support from wafer to finished product. This collaboration covers BGA, Flip Chip, and Wire Bond packaging and full test services, helping customers accelerate production ramp while ensuring shipping quality and reliability.
One-Stop Solution: End-to-End Support from Design to Mass Production
Beyond ASIC design services, PGC offers a diverse range of prototyping options, including TSMC CyberShuttle (suited for early-stage design verification, leveraging multi-project wafer sharing to reduce prototyping costs) and VIS (Vanguard International Semiconductor) MPW (suited for specialty process or mature node requirements), enabling customers to complete engineering sample verification with maximum flexibility.
PGC delivers a comprehensive one-stop solution encompassing ASIC design, IP integration, APR, DFT, tape-out, prototype verification, packaging and test (OSAT), and volume production ramp — helping customers rapidly obtain engineering samples, complete product validation, and seamlessly transition to mass production, significantly compressing time-to-market.
PGC CEO Fred Lai stated: "In a market environment where AI and HPC applications continue to drive demand for advanced-node solutions, customers need more than a design service provider — they need a comprehensive partner capable of integrating IP, design, prototyping, and volume production. By enhancing our COT business model and deepening our three-way ecosystem collaboration with TSMC, Synopsys, and ASE, our goal is to help customers reduce their ASIC development cycles by more than 10%, bringing innovative products to market faster."
Looking ahead, as demand for AI inference chips, HPC accelerators, and high-speed networking ASICs continues to grow, PGC will continue to expand its advanced-node service capabilities and further extend its customer reach into the US market, empowering global customers to seize opportunities in the advanced-node semiconductor landscape.
