Under the guidance of the Publicity Department of the CPC Jinan Municipal Committee, Jinan International Communication Center has meticulously planned and launched the high-end bilingual interview series City of Springs | Visionaries’ Echo. This series aims to establish a platform for high-level dialogue, inviting iconic figures from around the world to engage in in-depth discussions on global hot topics, the changes of the times, and Jinan’s future development, with the goal of achieving the vision of “exploring Jinan with a global perspective”.

Peter Poechmueller, recipient of the Chinese Government Friendship Award and a leading expert in the global semiconductor field, is currently a professor at the School of Integrated Circuits at Shandong University. As a deeply involved contributor and witness to China's rise in the semiconductor industry, Poechmueller’s story is one of unexpected permanence. He first came to China in 2006 by chance, intending only a short two-year stay. What was meant to be a trial period turned into a two-decade journey of commitment and growth.

His story with China continues in Jinan, the City of Springs, where a new chapter began. Years ago, after Inspur Group acquired the China R&D Center of Qimonda (Germany), where Poechmueller was serving as General Manager, he was invited to Jinan to help establish a backend semiconductor packaging plant. From his entrepreneurial beginnings in Xi’an to settling in Jinan, Poechmueller has always emphasized that none of this was planned—it was, in his words, “it was fate.” He holds a special affection for Jinan, where “in just ten minutes, you can walk from a bustling downtown into a peaceful hill”—a lifestyle he finds both familiar and comforting.

Jinan marked a turning point in Poechmueller’s career. He established the global R&D center Neumonda Group, whose parent company was led by Walden International, a prominent semiconductor investment firm. Under his leadership, the team developed a groundbreaking memory testing technology that replaced traditional, costly, and complex equipment. It also tackled the industry’s long-standing dependency on proprietary test programs. This innovation earned the prestigious Elektra “Test Product of the Year” Award. Compact in design, novel in concept, and backed by fully independent intellectual property rights, the technology integrates testing algorithms and programs distilled from over 30 years of experience. It significantly improves usability and provides high-quality, customized testing services for clients of all sizes—becoming a trusted “memory expert” and value-added partner.

With a deep understanding of both German and Chinese engineering mindsets, Poechmueller offers his vision of the “ideal fusion”: “Put the German engineer’s rigor and the Chinese engineer’s flexibility in a bottle—and shake it.” In his view, German engineers excel at precision planning and perfectionism but may slow product launches and increase costs. By contrast, Chinese engineers are goal-driven, responsive, and adapt swiftly in the face of obstacles, demonstrating a distinct advantage in efficiency.

In the knowledge-intensive semiconductor industry, Poechmueller sees talent stability in Jinan as one of the city’s greatest assets. “And therefore, I like Jinan,” he says. “That’s an asset.”

Looking ahead, Poechmueller is optimistic about China’s future in semiconductors. “China is big. China has so many people, so many companies,” he notes, believing the country has the capacity to achieve autonomy and control within the global semiconductor value chain. “Give them three, four, five more years, and then there will be a lot of good solutions here.”

As both a professor and entrepreneur, Poechmueller places high hopes on the younger generation and sees immense opportunities ahead. He urges young people to challenge authority and defy convention. In his eyes, real innovation often carries high risk—most attempts may fail, but the rare successes are enough to open entirely new frontiers. 

Guided by fate and rooted in China, this “adventurer” is a vivid embodiment of exploration and breakthrough, bringing his one-of-a-kind journey to life with purpose and passion.

Planning: Liu Qintao, Hou Yawen
Host: Kuang Qiongqiong
Reporters: Kuang Qiongqiong, Yuan Yuhua, Ma Xinyu (Intern)
Translation/Proofreading: An Shuo, Kuang Qiongqiong
Director/Production: An Shuo, Wei Tianyi
Post-production: Lan Chuanxin
Graphic Design: Niu Qingchun, Yu Hong