Malaysia unveils large-scale Semiconductor IC Design Park

Malaysia needs to focus on developing its own semiconductor design capabilities, lessening dependence on imported chips moving forward, said Malaysian Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli at the launch ceremony of the country’s Semiconductor IC Design Park in Puchong on Tuesday.

As reported by national news agency Bernama, Rafizi said the federal government’s strategic direction is to enhance the entire semiconductor ecosystem, covering both upstream and downstream sectors, particularly emphasising original design manufacturers (ODM).

“The interest in data centers will continuously drive the demand for semiconductors, and this presents opportunities because there is demand for chips,” he said as quoted by Bernama.

“As this ecosystem takes place, data centers in Malaysia will begin to consider “Made by Malaysia” chips. That is the consideration the federal government is looking for.”

The official noted the government already has the facilities for mainstream assembly and testing, and the launch of the Malaysia Semiconductor IC Design Park is a perfect mechanism for multiplying the number of IC design companies as much as possible.

The park will be equipped with common public service tools and facilities, including affordable electronic design automation tools, servers, IP, multi-project wafer services, and training programmes. Its primary goal is to promote original design manufacturing, encouraging local involvement in product design, prototyping, and production.

The park will be able to house more than 400 IC Design eEngineers and has already been taken up by eight local and international firms from MaiStorage, Skyechip, Weeroc, and AppAsia. Other partners include Bluechip VC, Cadence Design System, Synopsys, Siemens EDA, Keysight, and ARM.