CYBERJAYA, Nov 6 — Malaysia today launched its second integrated circuit (IC) design park in Cyberjaya, marking another milestone in its bid to strengthen the country’s semiconductor ecosystem and attract high-value investments.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who officiated the launch of the Malaysia Semiconductor IC Design Park 2, said the new facility reflected growing investor confidence in the nation’s semiconductor ambitions.
“If we look at the speed of implementation and the success in attracting investors, researchers, and participants, it shows that we are on a very convincing path. That’s why we now have IC Design Park 2,” he said in his speech here.
“There are not many countries that can have IC Design Park 1 and 2. If the pace of development continues to be as convincing as what we see today, I am sure the Selangor government will soon have to start thinking about IC Design Park 3.”
Anwar said Malaysia’s success in drawing semiconductor investments depended on building a strong ecosystem, including efficient infrastructure, robust education and training institutions, and skilled local talent.
“The most challenging aspect is the talent pool. What is the point of having good policies, facilities, and incentives if all the talent comes from abroad? In this globalised world, of course, we benefit from foreign expertise, but we must also build our own internal strength,” he said.
Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said the launch of IC Design Park 2 at CoPlace 9, Cyberjaya, marks a new phase for Selangor as Malaysia’s main semiconductor hub.
He said the first IC design park, launched in Puchong in August last year, has already housed more than 200 engineers from 14 semiconductor companies and is expected to expand to 400 engineers soon.
Spanning 75,000 square feet, the Puchong facility is the largest IC design park in Southeast Asia.
“Seven of the companies at IC Design Park 1 are now key leaders in the ARM CSS and AFA Design Token initiatives, an important step towards developing Malaysia’s first locally designed chip by 2027 or 2028,” he said.
With space at the Puchong facility now limited, Amirudin said the second park will house the Advanced Chip Testing Centre and training facilities under the Advanced Semiconductor Malaysia Academy (Asem) to support advanced chip design and testing activities.
He said the Advanced Chip Testing Centre will be the only world-class facility of its kind in the region, equipped with tools for advanced chip design emulation, prototype development, validation, and device testing.
The initiative involves collaboration with several major global and local partners, including Arm, Synopsys, AWS, Keysight, Ansys, Cadence, Sicada, QES, Tekmark, DF Automation, IIT Madras, and Shenzhen Xinhou Research Centre.
Amirudin said the Selangor state government, through its government-linked companies such as Sidec and PNSB, has also partnered with Artem Venture Fund to establish the Selangor Semiconductor Fund, also known as Ehsan Capital.
“The fund aims to raise more than RM100 million and is set to begin operations in November 2025, focusing on investments in at least seven high-potential local startups in semiconductor design and technology,” he said.
