600 students take on semiconductor design challenges

KUCHING: More than 600 students from 64 institutions participated in the SMD IC Design Make-A-Thon this year.

State Financial Secretary and SMD Semiconductor chairman Datuk Seri Dr Wan Lizozman Wan Omar said the programme is introduced to inspire the next generation of semiconductor talent by giving secondary school and university students opportunities to explore the fundamentals of IC design through collaborative challenges.

“This year, the programme attracted more than 600 participants from 64 institutions — a strong indication of growing interest among young Sarawakians in technology and semiconductor design,” he said in his speech during the Sarawak Semiconductor Flagship Talent Development Ecosystem Ceremony at CENTEXS, Santubong here today (Sept 15).

Dr Wan Lizozman said the initiative formed part of SMD Semiconductor’s efforts to create opportunities for the younger generation to move beyond learning and gain practical experience in semiconductor design.

He said the SMD IC Design Make-A-Thon is complemented by the SMD IC Design Competition (ICDC), which provides university students with opportunities to deepen their knowledge and apply it to real-world design challenges.

He said the ICDC is Malaysia’s first and only competition that allowed participants to see their designs progress towards actual silicon fabrication, giving them exposure to the complete IC design journey from concept and design to fabrication.

“Today, we are proud to see the first chip designed by students through the SMD IC Design Competition 2025 (ICDC 2025) being unveiled.

“This is a remarkable achievement and an important milestone because it shows that, with the right platform, guidance and opportunity, our young Sarawakians have the talent and can apply what they have learned to an actual chip design,” he said.

Wan Lizozman said the initiatives provided young Sarawakians with a pathway to learn, apply their knowledge and gain practical experience in IC design, supporting the development of talent needed for the state’s semiconductor ecosystem.

He said this is in line with the Sarawak Semiconductor Roadmap 2030, which required an ecosystem where talent could thrive and ideas could progress from learning and research into real-world technologies and applications.

“No single organisation can achieve this. It requires government, industry, academia and research institutions to work together towards a shared vision,” he said.

He said the collaborative approach is embodied by SMD’s Integrated Silicon Longhouse, which brings together government, industry, academia and research institutions to build a stronger and more connected semiconductor ecosystem.

He added that the CENTEXS-SMD Analog IC Design Semiconductor Mastery Programme complemented the ICDC by equipping engineers with specialised skills and strengthening their readiness for careers in the semiconductor industry.

“Today’s achievements are encouraging, but they are not the destination. The first student-designed chip, the completion of our engineers’ specialised training, and the partnerships formalised today are important steps for SMD as we continue to create platforms, opportunities and industry connections that enable our people to grow and contribute to the semiconductor industry,” he said.