During the 2026 IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems held in Shanghai, He Tingbo introduced the Tau (τ) Scaling Law, positioning it as a next-generation alternative to the long-standing Moore's Law for advancing semiconductor technology.

Unlike conventional approaches that focus on shrinking transistor dimensions, the Tau Scaling Law centers on time scaling as the primary benchmark for progress. The framework aims to enhance computing performance, energy efficiency, and transistor density by lowering signal transmission delays and reducing overall system execution time.

For many years, semiconductor advancement depended on making transistors smaller to boost processing capability and reduce manufacturing costs. However, physical limitations have made further miniaturization increasingly challenging, while improvements in cost efficiency and performance have slowed considerably.

According to He Tingbo, the Tau Scaling Law introduces a new direction for chip innovation. Huawei is supporting this approach through technologies such as LogicFolding and a layered optimization strategy that integrates devices, circuits, chips, and complete computing systems.
The company’s strategy focuses on lowering transistor and interconnect resistance along with parasitic capacitance to reduce delays at the physical level. Within circuit design, the LogicFolding architecture reorganizes layouts to shorten critical signal routes, decreasing resistive and capacitive burdens while improving both transistor density and circuit efficiency.

At the chip level, Huawei combines software optimization, processor architecture, and silicon engineering to streamline data and instruction flow. This coordinated design increases parallel processing capabilities and cuts total execution time. On the system side, the UnifiedBus interconnect protocol provides unified memory addressing and native memory semantics for SuperPods, helping reduce communication latency in large-scale computing environments.

He noted that Huawei has already incorporated the Tau Scaling framework into smartphones and AI computing platforms. Over the last six years, the company has reportedly developed and mass-produced 381 chips using this methodology across a variety of industries and applications.

Huawei also announced that its upcoming Kirin processors, expected in fall 2026, will be the first to feature the LogicFolding architecture, delivering major improvements in chip performance.

Within industry circles, the Tau Scaling Law has also earned the nickname “He’s Law” in recognition of He Tingbo’s contributions.

Huawei further projects that by 2031, high-end chips created under the Tau Scaling framework could reach transistor densities similar to those expected from 14-angstrom (1.4 nm) manufacturing technologies.

Concluding her presentation, He stressed that cooperation across the semiconductor ecosystem will be critical, emphasizing that no single organization can independently overcome the industry’s future technological challenges.

ENEA, Italy's National Agency for New Technologies, Energy, and Sustainable Economic Development, has chosen Lenovo to implement a high-performance computing (HPC) system at its Portici hub near Naples.

This system aims to advance research in clean energy, particularly nuclear fusion. Comprising 758 nodes powered by 2 Intel Xeon Platinum 8592+ CPUs each, the HPC setup will elevate the computational capacity of the CRESCO (Computational Center for Research on Complex Systems) supercomputer from its current 1.01 Petaflops to over 6.5 Petaflops, positioning it as one of the most powerful systems in Italy.

Beyond enhancing computational capabilities, ENEA prioritized sustainability in selecting Lenovo as its partner.

The new HPC system integrates Lenovo’s Neptune Direct Water-Cooling technology, which captures up to 98% of the heat generated by the supercomputer. This liquid cooling approach reduces the energy needed for fan operations, ensures CPUs maintain optimal temperatures, and prevents performance throttling due to overheating. Additionally, the hardware was manufactured at Lenovo's facility in Hungary, which employs energy-efficient technologies, further minimizing emissions associated with transportation.

ENEA oversees a sophisticated ICT architecture supporting advanced computational tasks, modeling, and 3D data visualization through GRID technologies. Its infrastructure spans six centers—Frascati, Portici, Bologna, Casaccia, Trisaia, and Brindisi—each specializing in various application domains. The CRESCO computing centers deliver state-of-the-art computational services across ENEA's focus areas, including energy systems, nuclear research, climate modeling, bioinformatics, and more. In the energy sector, the enhanced HPC capabilities are expected to drive innovation in digitization and decarbonization efforts for public and private industries.

“High-performance computing and artificial intelligence are unlocking new opportunities in vital fields such as sustainable development, climate research, and energy innovation,” said Alessandro de Bartolo, Country General Manager of Lenovo’s Infrastructure Solutions Group in Italy.

“Lenovo is proud to support ENEA in tackling these global challenges with our cutting-edge technologies and expertise.”

Giovanni Ponti, Head of ENEA’s ICT Division in the Department of Energy Technologies and Renewable Sources, emphasized the significance of the upgrade: “The CRESCO8 supercomputer represents a major technological leap, enhancing our parallel computing resources while maintaining exceptional energy efficiency. This next-generation HPC cluster will enable researchers and partners to execute advanced simulations, numerical codes, and AI algorithms to meet the evolving demands of the scientific community.”

The installation is managed by Ricca IT, a certified Lenovo business partner with extensive experience in HPC and AI solutions, cementing its reputation as a leader in Italy’s technology landscape.