By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Sept 12: Sarawak will establish a SMD Advanced Chip Integration Centre at a 10-acre site in the Sama Jaya Industrial Park, through SMD Semiconductor Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned government-linked company tasked with training the local workforce and building a robust semiconductor ecosystem in the State.
Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the initiative is a cornerstone of the Sarawak Semiconductor Roadmap 2030, which aims to attract over RM2 billion in public and private investments, forge strategic collaborations with at least 10 global industry leaders, create more than 3,000 high-skilled jobs, commercialise new intellectual properties, and train 3,000 local graduates through targeted talent development programmes.
“The advanced facility is the result of a strategic collaboration with Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult and the Welsh government.
“This will form the backbone of a globally research and development ecosystem, anchored in Sarawak but reaching across borders. This ecosystem will position Sarawak as a hub for high-value semiconductor activities in the future.
“It will accelerate our capabilities in advanced semiconductor design, integration, and innovation, ensuring Sarawak is not only a participant but a competitive leader in the national semiconductor industry,” he said during the launch of X-FAB Sarawak’s RM3 billion 40K Expansion at Sama Jaya Free Industrial Zone, officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today.
As part of Sarawak’s strategic initiative, SMD is also working with X-FAB in Dresden, Germany, along with Cambridge Microelectronics and CSA Catapult, to design and develop Sarawak’s own chip using Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology.
Abang Johari emphasised that this next-generation chip initiative will eventually see the transfer of advanced GaN technology to Sarawak, boosting process expertise and expanding production capacity at X-FAB Kuching.
“Since its inception, SMD has actively championed talent development in collaboration with Melexis and X-FAB. We have successfully trained 50 highly skilled engineers and designers in semiconductor technologies, who are now strategically deployed across the ecosystem,” he shared.
The Premier also urged the federal government to support Sarawak in advancing its semiconductor ambitions under Malaysia’s Silicon Vision and the National Semiconductor Roadmap.
“We believe this partnership will help speed up our efforts in building local talent and developing intellectual property in chips and design and production in Sarawak,” he stressed.
He added that Sarawak’s broader Post-Covid Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030) provides a clear pathway for economic diversification, with digital economy, renewable energy, and advanced manufacturing as key pillars.
The X-FAB expansion, he said, aligns perfectly with Sarawak’s vision of becoming a people-driven, knowledge-powered, and globally competitive economy.
“I am encouraged by the growing ecosystem of local SMEs and vendors supporting the semiconductor industry in Sarawak. Let us build on this momentum so that Sarawakian companies are not just part of the supply chain, but also part of the innovation chain,” he added. — DayakDaily
