MIDA Strengthens Semiconductor Ecosystem Via Talent Development
KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) is strengthening Malaysia’s semiconductor ecosystem through a strategic focus on talent development, smart manufacturing and supply chain integration in conjunction with SEMICON Southeast Asia 2026.
In a statement today, MIDA said the semiconductor sector is undergoing a structural transformation driven by artificial intelligence (AI), electrification and advanced computing, as the global semiconductor industry accelerates towards an estimated US$1 trillion (US$1=RM3.92) market by 2030.
“This transformation is reshaping not only technology demand, but also workforce requirements and the structure of global supply chains.
“Malaysia continues to evolve beyond its traditional strengths in assembly, testing and packaging towards higher-value activities such as integrated circuit (IC) design, advanced packaging, and digitally enabled manufacturing systems, supported by the gradual adoption of technologies,” it said.
MIDA chief executive officer Datuk Sikh Shamsul Ibrahim Sikh Abdul Majid, said Malaysia’s competitiveness will increasingly depend on the integration of talent development with technology adoption.
“Our semiconductor future will be shaped by how effectively we align talent development with smart manufacturing and digital technologies.
“Our focus is to ensure that skilled talent, advanced manufacturing systems and industry needs evolve together to deliver long-term value to global investors,” he said.
MIDA’s talent agenda spans a coordinated set of initiatives now reaching scale.
Through the Special Taskforce-Talent Facilitation (STF-TF) launched in March 2023, the MIDA convenes 17 stakeholders – including the Ministry of Higher Education, the Department of Polytechnic and Community College Education, the Malaysia Productivity Corporation, and several technical universities – to align workforce development with industry needs.
According to MIDA, under the ARM–Malaysia Strategic Cooperation Initiative, up to 10,000 Malaysian engineers will be trained in IC design over four years, with the first batch of Compute Subsystems Intellectual Property (CSS IP) token approvals already announced.
“Together, these initiatives form the operational backbone of Malaysia’s talent strategy under the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030) and the National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS),” it added.
Meanwhile, talent development at SEMICON SEA 2026 was reinforced by parallel engagements across the broader semiconductor ecosystem. MIDA’s Handshake@SEMICON networking platform connected Malaysian suppliers with multinational buyers, with sharing sessions from DHL and Micron.
Strategic engagements also took place through one-on-one meetings with a few global investors, aimed at accelerating new investment decisions in Malaysia.
Sikh Shamsul Ibrahim said these engagements reflect a deliberate integration of priorities.
“We have built our reputation on assembly, testing, and packaging. The next chapter is design, advanced packaging, and innovation. None of that is possible without the right people, in the right roles, learning at the right pace.
“That is why every engagement at SEMICON SEA 2026 has been shaped around the same question: How do we move faster, together, on talent?”
Through SEMICON SEA 2026, MIDA reinforces Malaysia’s position as an integrated semiconductor ecosystem where talent, technology, and supply chain capabilities evolve in tandem to support long-term industry competitiveness.
-- BERNAMA