As a result of China’s relatively short-term experience in IC design, the country’s current state of indigenous IC design capability is limited by several factors including limited self generated core-IP and a generally weak knowledge of IC foundries and necessary EDA infrastructure. These new fabless IC design centers, many of whom have been in existence for less than 10 years, face a number of challenges specific to EDA use. Many enterprises have yet to establish proper CAD support departments and efficient EDA design flows. Young design engineers and CAD support teams often do not fully understand and utilize existing process design kits (PDKs) and parameterized active (transistor) and passive models. Investment in specialized EDA tools such as RF/microwave and high-speed circuit analysis, parasitic extraction, LVS/DRC and yield optimization is significantly lower than the level of investment made by design centers in North America and Europe.