China's Design Expertise Growing

Original design complexity and expertise is growing on the Chinese mainland, according to survey results published by Global Sources, Inc., a media company focused on the China market.

The survey, conducted by EE Times-China magazine, found that 62 percent of the survey's 2,153 electronic design engineers devote their time to original work or enhancing designs, indicating that Chinese electronics manufacturers are moving up the supply chain in terms of value-added products.

"You're hard-pressed to find something in Circuit City that doesn't have "Made in China" stamped on it," says Charles Armitage, chief representative for North America at Global Sources. "Increasingly it's becoming designed in China as well."

30 percent of those surveyed by EE Times are producing original designs based on existing products; 16 percent are creating new designs, and another 16 percent are enhancing original designs. Thirty-eight percent said they reference existing foreign or domestic designs in development of products.

There are resource issues however. Thirty-five percent cited budget constraints, 33 percent noted a lack of information on the latest components, and almost one-third cited a shortage of advanced test equipment.

Engineers are variously concentrating reducing production costs, improving performance and reliability

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