SEOUL: Sarawak has taken another significant step towards realising its aspiration of becoming a regional high-technology and semiconductor hub through a strategic engagement session with the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association (KSIA) hosted by Sarawak Microelectronics Design, SMD Semiconductor, in Seoul on Monday.

The engagement was led by Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, alongside a high-level delegation comprising representatives from the Ministry of International Trade, Industry and Investment Sarawak (MINTRED), Ministry of Natural Resources and Urban Development (MUDeNR), Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB), InvestSarawak, SAINS, and RECODA.

The programme was supported by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority through its Seoul Office, which played an instrumental role in coordinating engagements with key stakeholders in the semiconductor industry, as well as MATRADE Korea for its support in strengthening trade and business connectivity between Sarawak and the Republic of Korea.

In his remarks, Datuk Amar Awang Tengah emphasised that Sarawak is actively strengthening international partnerships to accelerate technological development, attract quality investments, and enhance the State's participation in the global semiconductor value chain.

“Sarawak is undertaking a transformative journey to position itself as an emerging regional technological hub. Our focus is not only on investment attraction, but also on ecosystem development, talent nurturing, technology collaboration, and long-term industrial sustainability," he said.

Central to this effort is SMD Semiconductor, a wholly owned Sarawak Government company established in 2022 under the State Financial Secretary Incorporation (SFS Inc.), which serves as Sarawak's boutique fabless semiconductor design house specialising in analogue and mixed-signal integrated circuit technologies.

These technologies support a wide range of applications, including modern electronics, industrial systems, clean-energy infrastructure, artificial intelligence, smart systems, and future mobility solutions.

The engagement with KSIA forms part of Sarawak's broader strategy to deepen collaboration with leading semiconductor economies and to expand opportunities in strategic growth areas, including power management technologies, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), artificial intelligence infrastructure, advanced computing technologies involving NPU and GPU ecosystems, and satellite and low-earth orbit (LEO) technologies.

Recognising the Republic of Korea as one of the world's leading semiconductor ecosystems, Sarawak views Korea and KSIA as key strategic partners to advance industrial collaboration, knowledge exchange, talent development, and ecosystem capacity building.

Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SMD Semiconductor Shariman Jamil stressed that SMD Semiconductor has now entered the second phase of its long-term roadmap, moving beyond foundational planning towards execution, ecosystem expansion, and strategic industry collaboration.

“SMD Semiconductor is now entering the next phase of its roadmap. The early groundwork and deliverables have been demonstrated, and our priority moving forward is execution—sustaining momentum, expanding strategic collaborations, and translating plans into measurable industry outcomes," he said.

Executive Director of KSIA's Industrial Support Division Jeon Jae-min welcomed the engagement as a meaningful step towards strengthening cooperation between Korea's semiconductor ecosystem and emerging technology regions in Southeast Asia.

“Korea's semiconductor industry continues to value international collaboration, particularly with partners that demonstrate long-term commitment towards ecosystem development, innovation, and talent cultivation. We believe engagements such as this create meaningful opportunities for knowledge exchange, industry cooperation, and future strategic partnerships," he said.

Last month, the Premier of Sarawak announced that SMD Semiconductor would spearhead exploration of strategic partnerships with United Kingdom collaborators in satellite-grade semiconductor chip and system design, as well as the potential development and launch of Sarawak's first satellite, marking a major step forward in Sarawak's ambitions in the semiconductor, aerospace, and space technology sectors.

SMD Semiconductor has also recently established a collaboration with the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom and Yayasan Sarawak, focusing on semiconductor talent development and knowledge exchange. - UKASnews

Processed by: Ryan Lim