Sarawak unveils first homegrown GaN chip

KUCHING: Sarawak has unveiled keteq.GaN, its first locally designed Gallium Nitride (GaN) power semiconductor chip, targeting next-generation applications from artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure to renewable energy.

Developed by SMD Semiconductor Sdn Bhd, the keteq.GaN Power Module was officially unveiled by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg during the opening of the International Digital Economy Conference Sarawak (IDECS) 2026 here today (Oct 5).

Carrying the message “Designed in Sarawak. Built for the World.”, the technology is developed for next-generation power electronics.

Its applications include AI infrastructure, renewable energy, battery energy storage systems, smart grids and future solid-state transformers.

The development comes four years after SMD Semiconductor was established in 2022 and marks its progression from building semiconductor capabilities to developing its own GaN power semiconductor technology.

According to SMD, keteq.GaN also represents the company’s move into developing and owning high-value semiconductor technology and intellectual property.

The company aims to take Sarawak-developed technology into industrial applications and markets beyond the state.

GaN is a wide-bandgap semiconductor technology increasingly used in power electronics where efficiency, power density and power management are important.

For keteq.GaN, SMD is targeting applications requiring efficient power conversion and management, including next-generation grid infrastructure and radiation-hardened solutions for space applications.

SMD Semiconductor chairman and State Financial Secretary Datuk Seri Dr Wan Lizozman Wan Omar said the focus now is on taking the technology beyond the design stage into real-world applications.

“keteq.GaN is an important step for SMD, but what matters now is what we do with that capability.

“We want to see technology developed here move beyond the design stage and find its place in real applications, creating value not only for SMD, but also for Sarawak’s wider semiconductor industry,” he said in a statement.

Wan Lizozman said building the necessary capabilities and industry connections is important in taking homegrown semiconductor technology further.

“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 said.

SMD Semiconductor chief executive officer Shariman Jamil said keteq.GaN was developed with specific industrial applications in mind rather than as a standalone technology demonstration.

“When we started developing keteq.GaN, the objective was not simply to design a semiconductor and stop there.

“We were looking at where the technology could make a difference, particularly in applications where power efficiency and power management are becoming increasingly important, and how it could eventually be integrated into real power systems and products.

“That is why we are looking at applications such as AI power, renewable energy, battery energy storage, smart grids and future solid-state transformers,” he said.