MM Racing Chapter 165 Bosch's Grand Move
Chapter 165 Bosch's Grand Move
2020 11 Month 18 Day.
Countdown to the first test of the 250mm DRIE – 1 day.
At 9:00 AM sharp, a news story caused a stir in the technology industry.
Bosch China's official Weibo account released a formal statement:
Bosch Group announced that it will invest approximately RMB 15 billion (about €20 million) to build a new MEMS sensor manufacturing base in Suzhou Industrial Park, China. Upon completion, the base will become Bosch's largest MEMS production facility in the Asia-Pacific region, with an annual production capacity of 2 billion MEMS sensors.
Meanwhile, Bosch has completed the acquisition of a 67% stake in Shenzhen MicroPort Sensor Technology Co., Ltd., gaining access to domestic MEMS sensor packaging and testing production lines.
In addition, Bosch and Hangxindatong Technology Co., Ltd. signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement. The two parties will conduct in-depth cooperation in the field of UAV flight control and jointly launch an integrated UAV solution based on Bosch MEMS inertial sensors and Hangxindatong's "Tian Shu" flight control chip.
The last paragraph of the statement is:
"Bosch has been deeply rooted in the Chinese market for over 100 years, consistently committed to providing Chinese customers with the highest quality technologies and products. This investment reflects Bosch's long-term confidence in the Chinese MEMS market."
The statement was forwarded more than 8 times within an hour of its release.
The comments section exploded.
"15 billion RMB??? Bosch is going all-out war in the Chinese market!"
"Bosch + Hangxindatong Tianshu chip = complete UAV flight control solution... Hongyuan Feiniao is under a lot of pressure now."
"Isn't MicroPort Sensors one of Hongyuan Feiniao's upstream suppliers? This is a devastating blow!"
"Wait, MicroPort Sensors was acquired by Bosch? What about Hongyuan Feiniao's packaging process?"
"Bosch produces 20 billion MEMS sensors annually... What is Hongyuan Feiniao's current annual production capacity?"
"Tomorrow is the Su Chen 250mm test, and Bosch is already pulling out all the stops today. The timing is impeccable!"
The last comment received over 5 likes.
Indeed—Bosch chose to release this news on November 18th, exactly the day before Su Chen's 250mm DRIE verification experiment. This timing cannot be a coincidence.
Bosch's intention is very clear: whether your 250mm verification succeeds or fails, Bosch is already here.
……
After the news spread, the WeChat group became lively again.
Old Chen, the Flyer: "Brothers, Bosch has personally entered the fray. 15 billion! This is no joke."
Xiao Wang from Shenzhen: "I checked, and MicroPort Sensing is indeed one of Hongyuan Feiniao's MEMS packaging suppliers. Last year, about 30% of Hongyuan Feiniao's packaging orders were done for MicroPort Sensing. Now MicroPort Sensing has been acquired by Bosch..."
Old Chen, the Flyer: "What about the packaging of the Hongyuan Flying Bird?"
Drone A-Jie: "There should be other suppliers, right? And hasn't Su Chen been building his own production lines all along?"
The calm analyst remained silent for a few minutes, then sent a long message:
"Everyone, let me analyze this matter."
Bosch's involvement in this matter has three implications:
The first level – overwhelming production capacity. Bosch's Suzhou plant has an annual production capacity of 20 billion MEMS sensors, while Hongyuan Feiniao's current annual production capacity is around 1 million. The production capacity difference is 20:1.
The second layer – securing a foothold in the supply chain. The acquisition of MicroPort Sensors directly penetrates Hongyuan Feiniao's upstream supply chain. Although Hongyuan Feiniao has more than just MicroPort Sensors as a packaging supplier, this signal alone is unsettling enough.
The third layer – solution replacement. Bosch MEMS sensors + Hangxindatong Tianshu chip = a complete UAV flight control solution, directly competing with Hongyuan Feiniao's light armor + DRIE solution. Moreover, Bosch's brand effect far surpasses that of Hongyuan Feiniao – in the eyes of many customers, Bosch = reliability.
In summary, Bosch isn't waging a propaganda war this time; it's waging a commercial war. And it's using the most forceful methods—production capacity, supply chain, and brand—to exert comprehensive pressure.
After reading the calm analyst's analysis, Old Chen, the pilot, typed a few words, deleted them, and finally posted:
"Then... can Su Chen withstand it?"
A calm analyst said, "We'll have to see how the temperature reaches 12.05 degrees Celsius tomorrow."
……
The news spread throughout the tech industry before noon.
Industry analysts from major securities firms have issued research reports, with the vast majority of titles containing phrases like "major changes in the landscape" and "reshuffling."
The title of a research report from a leading securities firm is: "Bosch enters the fray, and the landscape of China's MEMS sensor market is about to be reshaped."
The core argument of the research report is that while Hongyuan Feiniao has made innovative breakthroughs in technology (using the equivalent thermoelastic approximation method), it still lags far behind Bosch in terms of production capacity, brand, and global distribution channels. Bosch's investment of 15 billion yuan to build the Suzhou base signifies that the Chinese MEMS market will move from the "domestic substitution" stage to the "direct competition" stage.
The last paragraph of the research report reads:
"We believe that Bosch's decision to release the news the day before the Su Chen 250mm verification experiment has a clear psychological warfare element. This shows that Bosch is highly vigilant about Hongyuan Feiniao's technological breakthrough—if Bosch wasn't nervous, it wouldn't have revealed its 15 billion dollar trump card at this time."
In other words, Bosch used 15 billion RMB to tell the world one thing: Su Chen is a formidable opponent.
This passage was screenshotted and forwarded by countless people, eventually becoming another trending topic on Weibo:
#Bosch uses 15 billion to prove that Su Chen is a formidable opponent#
……
in the afternoon.
Public reaction to this incident began to diverge.
Some people believe this is normal business practice for Bosch – it's understandable that international giants would increase their investment after recognizing the opportunities in the Chinese market.
But another group of people began to point the finger at Su Chen and Hongyuan Feibiao.
A Zhihu answer stated:
"To be honest, a major reason why Bosch is personally involved is because Hongyuan Feiniao is too powerful. Su Chen has an almost overwhelming presence in the domestic MEMS market—light armor sensors dominate the mid-to-high-end market, DRIE technology is something others can't do, and the industry alliance has bound 248 companies together."
This kind of monopolistic structure is inherently unhealthy.
Bosch's arrival, though a foreign company, at least brings competition to the market. Competition is a good thing for consumers.
The problem is that Bosch acquired MicroPort Sensing. MicroPort Sensing is no ordinary company; it's one of the few domestic companies capable of MEMS packaging. Now that it's controlled by foreign capital, it means that China's MEMS packaging sector faces another risk of being held back.
Ultimately, all of this stems from the fact that Hongyuan Flying Bird is too powerful—so powerful that it has squeezed out its domestic competitors, leaving them with no room to survive and forcing them to be acquired by foreign capital.
Su Chen is undoubtedly a genius. But even geniuses need to leave room for the industry to survive.
This answer received 1.2 upvotes.
The comments were divided into two camps—those who supported Su Chen believed that "competition among enterprises is a matter of course, and the weak are eliminated and have no one to blame but themselves"; those who criticized Su Chen believed that "being too aggressive is also a mistake, as it has attracted even more formidable opponents."
In the WeChat group, Flyer Lao Chen and Calm Analyst were also discussing this topic.
"To be honest, I'm quite upset about MicroPort Sensing being acquired by Bosch. I know Mr. Wu, the boss of MicroPort Sensing; we used to work together in Huaqiangbei. They've been doing MEMS packaging for eight years, finally establishing themselves in the industry, and now Bosch has bought them."
A calm analyst commented, "The reasons for MicroPort Sensing's acquisition are complex and cannot be entirely blamed on Su Chen. Bosch has been acquiring small and medium-sized enterprises in the MEMS supply chain globally—in the US, Europe, and Japan. MicroPort Sensing is just one part of this global strategy."
Old Chen, the Flyer: "I understand the logic, but I always feel that if Su Chen weren't so assertive, the minimally invasive sensor might not have been targeted."
A calm analyst commented, "Old Chen, let's look at it from another angle—if China didn't have Su Chen or Hongyuan Feibiao, Bosch wouldn't have needed to spend 15 billion to build a factory in China. It could have just sold sensors directly, and no one could have competed with it. It's precisely because of Su Chen's emergence that Bosch was forced to increase its investment. From a macro perspective, this is actually a good thing."
Old Chen, the aviator, thought for a moment: "What you said makes sense... but what about Old Wu, the one with the minimally invasive sensors?"
A sober analyst commented: "The business world is like a battlefield. Not everyone can survive a war."
Old Chen, the aviator, remained silent for a long time before finally posting:
"well."
……
5 pm.
Shenzhen, Nanshan District, Hongyuan Feiniao Headquarters, B3 Floor, DRIE Laboratory.
Su Chen was unaware of Bosch's affairs.
His phone was turned on this morning and then turned off again—after the calibration process was completed, the system integration test began, and he didn't allow himself to be distracted during the test.
At this moment, Su Chen stood in front of the 250mm DRIE device, staring at the data on the control panel.
The final step in system integration testing—vacuum testing—is underway. Shen Zhiming is monitoring the data next to the vacuum pump, while Li Ming is running the final verification of the calibration program at the control panel.
"Vacuum level 3.2×10⁻³ Pa, stable," Shen Zhiming reported the data.
"The calibration procedure has passed final verification. The cross-validation errors of both sets are within ±0.005 degrees." Li Ming's voice came from the control panel.
Su Chen nodded slightly.
What about the analytical predictions from the equivalent thermoelastic approximation method?
"Already entered into the system. 12.05 degrees. Tomorrow, during the actual measurement, it will be compared and verified together with the two sets of simulation values."
Su Chen glanced at the calendar on the wall—November 18th.
Tomorrow, November 19th.
He took a marker out of his pocket, walked to the calendar, and drew a red circle in the box for November 19.
"What time does it start tomorrow?" Shen Zhiming walked over.
"8 a.m.," Su Chen said calmly and firmly.
Shen Zhiming nodded. He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "President Su, do you know that Bosch today—"
"I don't know," Su Chen interrupted him, "and I don't need to know."
He watched as the 250mm cavity quietly awaited tomorrow within the equipment. The cavity's metallic surface reflected a cold luster under the laboratory lights.
"Zhiming."
"exist."
"If the 12.05 degree verification is successful tomorrow—" Su Chen paused, a smile appearing on his lips, "—I'll treat the entire company to dinner."
Shen Zhiming paused for a moment, then laughed: "President Su, you said that before."
"I know," Su Chen said, "so I won't break my promise."
He turned off the lab lights—but tonight, he wasn't lying on his cot.
He stood by the window, looking at the night view of Nanshan District in Shenzhen. The Shenzhen Bay Bridge in the distance was brightly lit, and the traffic flowed slowly like a glowing river.
He recalled three years ago—the winter of 2017—when he had just returned to Shenzhen after being discharged from the army. At that time, he lived in a 15-square-meter rented room in an urban village, with only the tens of thousands of yuan he had saved when he was discharged.
He recalled the afternoon he first bought a cheap MEMS sensor development board at the Huaqiangbei electronics market. The board cost him 280 yuan, and it was the cheapest domestically produced development board at the time.
He recalled the feeling that welled up inside him that night in his rented room when he first opened the development board and used a multimeter to measure the voltage of each pin—
That indescribable feeling.
It wasn't excitement.
Yes, that's for sure.
He was certain that this was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.
From that 280 RMB development board to today—250mm DRIE cavity, equivalent thermoelastic approximation method, Flying Bird Industry Alliance, AVIC five-year agreement, monthly revenue of 10.8 billion RMB—
Three years.
Su Chen closed his eyes.
tomorrow.
12.05 degrees.
He took a deep breath and then walked to his cot.
He wants to get a good night's sleep tonight.
Because tomorrow will be a watershed moment for him and the entire industry.
……
At the same time.
Beijing, headquarters of Hangxindatong Technology.
He Zhiqiang sat in his office with a cooperation framework agreement from Bosch spread out in front of him.
He read it three times.
With a 15 billion yuan investment, a Suzhou base, the acquisition of MicroPort Sensors, and the integration of TianShu chips—Bosch is serious this time.
He Zhiqiang put down the documents, leaned back in his chair, and gazed at the night outside the window.
He recalled a month ago—the day Su Chen successfully completed the first test of the DRIE 200mm. That day, when he saw the news in his office, he felt not fear, but an indescribable emotion.
Perhaps it was jealousy.
Perhaps it's anxiety.
Perhaps it is—a kind of admiration that one is unwilling to admit.
Su Chen is fifteen years younger than him. Three years ago, this man was a veteran with only tens of thousands of yuan in his pocket. Three years later, this man forced the world's largest MEMS sensor manufacturer to invest 15 billion yuan to get involved themselves.
He Zhiqiang picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip.
The tea has gone cold.
"The Tian Shu chip," he whispered, "six months."
Six months later, the TianShu chip was fabricated. If successful—and combined with Bosch's MEMS sensor—it would be a solution capable of directly competing with Hongyuan Feiniao.
But in just six months...
Will Su Chen do something unexpected in the next six months?
He Zhiqiang didn't know the answer.
But he knew one thing—he had to pay attention to Su Chen's 250mm DRIE verification experiment tomorrow.
If the 12.05-degree verification is successful, it means that Su Chen's equivalent thermoelastic approximation method is not just a theory—it is a new methodology that can be applied on a large scale.
If this methodology is validated, then Hongyuan Feiniao's technological advantage in the DRIE field will become even more unshakeable.
By then, even if the TianShu chip is successful, even if Bosch invests 15 billion—
He Zhiqiang closed his eyes.
"Su Chen, oh Su Chen..."
He muttered something under his breath, then put down his teacup.
The night view of Beijing outside the window is just like that of Shenzhen, brightly lit.
But the two people in the two cities were thinking about the same thing at that moment—
tomorrow.
12.05 degrees.