Brilliant Silicon (BSi), one of Taiwan's leading IC design companies, is advancing breakthroughs in wireless communications and semiconductor innovation that have connected millions of devices on Earth through Bluetooth and IoT technologies. As the winner of the IC Taiwan Grand Challenge (ICTGC) Batch 3 in the Smart Mobility category, Brilliant Silicon develops power-efficient, high-performance RF chips on silicon CMOS to build a robust low-earth orbit (LEO) supply chain.
Space is the Final Frontier of Communications
Most communications satellites today utilize geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites. GEO satellites are fixed at a single point approximately 36000 km above the Earth's equator. However, as global communications evolve and the demand for wide coverage, high speed, & low-latency communications grows, GEO satellites are no longer the best solution, and a transition to low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites is inevitable. Due to its high-BOM cost and technical entry barrier, many communication devices or infrastructures are not LEO-ready, and BSi may be the answer. BSi's LEO RF chipset will be able to drastically reduce BOM costs while achieving lightweight, high-cost-performance solutions for applications such as Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite user terminals.
Introducing IC Taiwan Grand Challenge
To strengthen Taiwan’s position as a global semiconductor powerhouse, the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) organizes the IC Taiwan Grand Challenge. Started in 2024, the competition originally focused purely on innovative IC designs and advanced application solutions. Today, ICTGC also honors technologies that can support and contribute to the semiconductor industry and Taiwan’s industry in general. ICTGC Batch 3 emphasizes key fields such as AI Core Technologies & Chips, Smart Mobility, Smart Manufacturing, Smart Medtech, and Sustainability.
LEO is the Future, Cooperation and Innovation are the Keys
Brilliant Silicon (BSi) was established in 2022 by experts from MTK, Airoha, Ralink, Mstar, TSMC, and Apple. With a range of Bluetooth ICs and IPs, BSi has been self-sufficient since its inception. With a group of experts boasting experience in design and mass production in 3G-5G, NB IoT, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, and radar chipsets, BSi aims to provide a revolutionary beamformer design with significant BOM cost reduction.
BSi's core technology is in their power-efficient, high-performance RF chips on silicon Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS), including: beamformers (BF), RF front-end (PA & LNA), frequency converters, and active electronically scanned array (AESA) controller chips for AESA systems. Focusing on the development of beamformer (BF) ICs for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, based on innovative and industry-leading RF IP design methodologies, BSi delivers a number of advantages over existing technologies, such as: precision phase shifter design to achieve highly accurate and stable phase control, excellent power consumption management to significantly reduce overall system power consumption and enhance reliability & endurance for extended operations, and optimized uniformity to ensure signal path consistency and stable system performance. With these features, BSi's technologies will be able to serve as a critical foundation for next-generation LEO satellite communication systems, driving innovation and upgrades in global high-speed wireless communication.
BSi aims to build a robust LEO supply chain by fully tapping into Taiwan's strengths in semiconductors, manufacturing, communications, and sustainable energy. Having signed an MOU with a leading Taiwanese company in wireless communications and antenna design to jointly develop advanced Low Earth Orbit (LEO) user terminal equipment, BSi leverages its innovative capabilities in edge AI and RF IC design, accelerating product development and market production. In addition, BSi is also cooperating with ITRI, Taiwan Space Agency (TASA), and local satellite equipment manufacturers to connect with global industry leaders and the wider space sector and leverage international resources to drive cross-border technology integration and expedite commercialization opportunities.
As the winner of the Smart Mobility category in the IC Taiwan Grand Challenge Batch 3, Brilliant Silicon (BSi) will participate in the Taiwan Innotech Expo (TIE) 2025 which will be held from October 16 - 18, 2025 in the Taipei World Trade Center (TWTC) Hall 1. BSi will showcase their technologies, and visitors are encouraged to join and see how their innovations will enable LEO communications for future connectivity.
Register for the IC Taiwan Grand Challenge Batch 4
With the continued success of IC Taiwan Grand Challenge (ICTGC), the organizers will promote it as a long-term event to support semiconductor innovations from Taiwan and abroad. Registration for the next batch of ICTGC will begin in November 2025, and teams with a focus on semiconductor technologies are encouraged to join and compete.
For more details, please visit:
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https://ictaiwanchallenge.org/