Malaysia Semiconductor IC Design Park Hires 302 Engineers, Targets 400 By Year-end

KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 (Bernama) -- The Malaysia Semiconductor IC Design Park has reached a significant milestone, with 302 engineers hired to date, signalling strong expansion of the country’s front-end semiconductor ecosystem.

The strategic initiative, spearheaded by the Selangor Information Technology & Digital Economy Corporation (SIDEC), with support from the Ministry of Economy and the Selangor government, is on track to surpass its initial key performance indicators (KPIs) this year.

SIDEC said that about 80 per cent of those hired are fresh graduates, reflecting efforts to build a new generation of Malaysian semiconductor talent, while companies continue sourcing experienced professionals to strengthen technical capabilities.

The ecosystem is projected to reach 350 engineers by the third quarter of 2026 and 400 by year-end, with the park currently hosting 15 active companies involved in sectors such as data centres, automotive and aerospace. Demand remains high for specialised roles including IC design and firmware engineers.

“This milestone reflects more than just a hiring achievement. It signals the growing strength of Malaysia’s semiconductor ecosystem and increasing confidence in Selangor as a base for advanced chip design and innovation,” it said in a statement.

The initiative also supports the national aspiration of moving from ‘Made in Malaysia’ to ‘Made by Malaysia’ through stronger domestic intellectual property and high-value technology development.

Among notable achievements within the ecosystem are Maistorage’s collaboration with NASA, Weeroc Space’s tapeout milestone, and SkyeChip’s progress towards a planned initial public offering (IPO), while Cortical Labs has launched its CL1 in collaboration with DayOne Data Centres.

To support talent growth, the Advanced Semiconductor Academy of Malaysia (ASEM) has trained 360 students to date, while the National Semiconductor Education Programme currently involves 100 students.

It said that ASEM is also advancing talent development through the K-Youth Development Programme with Khazanah Nasional Berhad, alongside international training collaborations with IIT Madras.

Strategic partnerships with the Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC) and CREST under the SemiconStart and MyChipStart programmes are also supporting ecosystem growth from training to commercialisation.

To address specialised talent shortages, ASEM has introduced structured interventions including the Global Semiconductor Education Programme (GSEP) and diaspora outreach initiatives targeting Malaysian students abroad.

Looking ahead, the Malaysia Semiconductor IC Design Park is targeting two milestones by year-end - reaching 400 engineers across its ecosystem and supporting the emergence of its first IPO-listed company.

-- BERNAMA