Ligent Expands Its Integrated Chip and Module Manufacturing Footprint: 2027 Chip Capacity Fully Covered by Customer Demand

October 23, 2026 — According to C-FOL, Ligent (9856.HK), which listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on September 22, is progressing in line with its annual operating plan. The company continues to make headway in customer acquisition, with capacity expansion proceeding on schedule and product deliveries advancing steadily.

The optical chip facility in Wangtai Subdistrict, Qingdao Economic and Technological Development Zone, recently completed its cleanroom fit-out. Key process equipment, including metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) systems, is being delivered, installed and commissioned, marking a major milestone for the project.

The facility is scheduled to begin trial production and enter volume production in the first half of 2027. As production ramps up, the new facility, together with existing optical chip operations, is expected to bring the company’s total annual optical chip capacity to more than 170 million units in 2027. Customer order demand already covers this entire projected capacity.

Capacity Expansion Addresses the Supply–Demand Gap

The Qingdao Wangtai optical chip facility can accommodate nearly 30,000 square meters of cleanroom space, including 18,000 square meters in Phase I. It is designed for volume production of 75 mW, 100 mW and 150 mW continuous-wave (CW) laser chips, as well as 200G electro-absorption modulated laser (EML) chips.

With CW optical chip sales rising significantly in 2026, the company’s existing optical chip operations in Qingdao are approaching full capacity. The new facility is expected to provide prompt relief from delivery pressures once it becomes operational.

Margin Improvement Demonstrates the Value of the Chip Business

In the first half of 2026, Ligent reported revenue of RMB 5.393 billion, up 27.9% year on year, and net profit of RMB 661 million, an increase of 29.7%. Its overall gross profit margin rose to 24.2%, compared with 18.7% in the same period a year earlier.

The optical chip business achieved a record gross profit margin, benefiting from economies of scale as CW optical chip production reached its designed capacity.

A More Comprehensive Integrated Chip and Module Manufacturing Footprint.

The Qingdao Wangtai optical chip facility is a key component of Ligent’s integrated chip and module manufacturing strategy.

In addition to its high-end laser chip manufacturing bases in Qingdao, Jiangmen and Xiamen—with the Xiamen facility currently under construction and scheduled to commence production at the end of 2027—the company operates two manufacturing bases in Thailand. At its New Jersey manufacturing base in the United States, Ligent is fitting out and expanding new optical module and optical chip production lines to serve demand in the North American market. These lines are scheduled for completion by the end of 2026 and in 2027, respectively.

Recent brokerage research reports identify 2027 as a pivotal year for Ligent, driven by three developments: breakthroughs in overseas customer acquisition, the ramp-up of high-speed optical module production capacity, and the scaling of optical chip manufacturing. These developments are expected to accelerate the company’s growth in AI optical interconnects.

The installation and commissioning of equipment at the Qingdao Wangtai optical chip facility mark a significant step toward a substantial increase in Ligent’s chip production capacity.

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