A new EE Times-Asia survey of the integrated circuit (IC) design sector in China and Korea shows that average company revenue is expected to increase 22% from 2004 to reach US$9.8 million in 2005.

Taiwan firms undertook an average of 11 design projects in 2004. Mainland China and Korea firms averaged 10 and six design projects, respectively.

87% of surveyed Korea companies are using process technologies of 0.25 microns, or finer, in digital IC design, compared to 64% of mainland China design firms and 63%of Taiwan companies.

Firms identified their main design challenges as reducing design cycle time, reducing design cost, verifying intellectual property, and securing intellectual property.

174 IC design houses took part in the survey.