Malaysia unveils six homegrown chips worth RM300m as it shifts from making to designing semiconductors

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 — The Malaysian government has unveiled six homegrown semiconductor innovations with an estimated combined sales potential of RM300 million, signaling a shift from manufacturing to designing and owning advanced technology. Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Nasir revealed the chips at the Grand Hyatt, emphasizing that the next step involves securing customer adoption and scaling the innovations into commercially successful products.

These innovations, developed by companies within the Malaysia Semiconductor IC Design Park, span applications such as artificial intelligence, automotive electronics, satellite systems, and autonomous drones. Notable among the innovations are SkyeChip’s MARS1000, an edge-AI processor for cameras and robots, MaiStorage’s aiDAPTIV+ for AI storage solutions, and SiliconX’s first field-programmable gate array (FPGA) designed for industrial and automotive use.

The other inventions include Infinecs’ Maxwell, an automotive power regulator, Weeroc Space’s power controller chip for satellites, and Alphaswift’s FC Mini flight controller for drones. The government acknowledges that Malaysia already excels in semiconductor packaging and testing but is now focusing on IC design through collaborations, talent development, and investments.

The National Semiconductor Strategy aims to train and upskill 60,000 engineers, while the Arm On-Demand Training program targets 10,000 Malaysians in specialized IC design skills over four years. The government also seeks to develop market demand for locally designed chips to attract more customers and encourage further investment.

Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari highlighted the collaboration between local and international partners in the two semiconductor design parks, stressing the importance of coordinating efforts across states to amplify Malaysia's national strengths in semiconductor technology.