KUCHING: Sarawak unveiled its first locally designed Gallium Nitride (GaN) power semiconductor chip, keteq.GaN, at the opening of the International Digital Economy Conference Sarawak 2026 (IDECS26), here on Monday.

Developed by Sarawak Microelectronics Design (SMD) Semiconductor Sdn Bhd, the keteq.GaN Power Module was officially unveiled by Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Tun Datuk Abang Openg.

Keteq.GaN is designed for next-generation power electronics, with applications spanning artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, renewable energy, battery energy storage systems, smart grids and future solid-state transformers.

In a statement issued by SMD Semiconductor, Datuk Patinggi Abang Zohari said the development reflects an important shift in Sarawak’s role in the semiconductor value chain as the state moves towards developing its own technology and intellectual property.

“Sarawak has spent years putting the foundations in place from our energy resources and industrial capabilities to semiconductor manufacturing and talent development.

“What we are seeing today is the next step in that journey, the ability to develop semiconductor technology here and create intellectual property that originates from Sarawak,” he said.

The Sarawak Premier added that keteq.GaN demonstrates Sarawak’s potential to move beyond semiconductor manufacturing and create its own technology for industries and markets beyond the state.

Meanwhile, SMD Semiconductor Chairman and Sarawak Financial Secretary Dato Sri Dr Wan Lizozman Wan Omar said the launch marks another step in SMD’s development since its establishment four years ago.

He said the focus now is to move technology beyond the design stage into real-world applications and create value for Sarawak’s wider semiconductor industry.

“For SMD, this is about taking what we have developed and connecting it with real industry needs. As Sarawak strengthens its semiconductor and foundry ecosystem, we want to see more technology developed here create value beyond the technology itself,” he added.

SMD Semiconductor Chief Executive Officer Shariman Jamil said keteq.GaN was developed for power electronics applications where efficiency and power management are increasingly important.

Following the launch, SMD Semiconductor, in collaboration with Microelectronics Research and Development Institute (MRDI) Hong Kong and Gobi Partners, held an engagement session with industry stakeholders to exchange views on industry capabilities, requirements and opportunities, as well as exploring potential areas of collaboration to enhance the state’s semiconductor and foundry ecosystem. -UKASnews