Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the impact of U.S. export restrictions on EDA software tools to China, prompting domestic EDA companies to respond by offering free trials of their products to users [1][4]. Industry Overview - The global EDA market is projected to reach approximately $15.71 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow to $18.33 billion by 2026, highlighting its critical role in the $500 billion semiconductor industry [5]. - Historically, the global EDA market has been dominated by three major international firms: Synopsys, Cadence, and Siemens EDA, which collectively hold over 70% market share in China [5]. Company Developments - Shanghai Hejian Industrial Software Group (Hejian Gongruan) is the only domestic EDA company that can fully cover the digital chip verification process and provide advanced process high-speed interconnect IP [4]. - Hejian Gongruan has over 200 clients, serving most high-end chip design companies in China, and aims to address core bottleneck issues in the industry [4]. - The company has launched free trials for key software products, including the UniVista Simulator and UniVista Tespert, to support domestic chip design needs [4]. Strategic Moves - The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has noted the discriminatory restrictions imposed by the U.S., emphasizing the need for China to take strong measures to protect its legitimate rights [5]. - Domestic EDA companies are accelerating strategic collaborations and project implementations in response to the supply chain crisis, with a focus on promoting the use of domestic EDA tools [5]. - The number of domestic EDA companies has increased from 10 to over 100 in the past five years, although only a few have revenues exceeding 100 million [6]. Mergers and Acquisitions - Domestic EDA firms like Huada Jiutian and Gai Lun Electronics are actively pursuing acquisitions to enhance their capabilities and product offerings [6][7]. - Huada Jiutian's acquisition of Chip and Semiconductor aims to fill gaps in key EDA tools and build a comprehensive capability [6]. - Gai Lun Electronics has also announced acquisitions to deepen the synergy between EDA and IP design, which is seen as essential for advancing the integrated circuit industry [7].