Abstract: This article features an interview with Dr. Honghe Tan , recipient of the 2023 “CCF Outstanding Engineer Award”. During the interview, Dr. Tan first detailed his professional journey, which included his reflections on transitioning from academia to industry. He then shared his insights on the past, present, and future of automotive-grade intelligent chips for self-driving, drawing from his extensive experience working with such technology. Finally, he offered his advices for aspiring technical developers looking to pursue careers in this field.