KUCHING, June 26: State-owned semiconductor company, Sarawak Microelectronics Design (SMD) today launched its SMD Chip Design Centre and SMD Academy, the first of its kind in Borneo.
SMD Chief Executive Officer, Shariman Jamil, said with this establishment, it will pave the way for Sarawakian talents to be the forefront of a culture of innovation and excellence.
“This facility is the integral part of SMD’s mission of advancing the semiconductor technology, and also to support the growth and development of our team, by providing them with state-of-the-art workspaces and resources so that we can foster a culture of innovation excellence,” he said in an exclusive interview with TVS at its new office located in HSL Tower on Wednesday.
According to him, SMD Chip Design Centre and SMD Academy can accomodate up to 60 design engineers, with a theatre-style multipurpose hall, for seminars, workshops and large gatherings for stakeholders.
Shariman added, talents will be equipped with the necessary tools and knowledge to enable them to explore and collaborate with their international partners in Germany and Belgium.
“We are working with key partners such as Melexis and X-Fab to develop industry content, then we equip them with de facto industrial tools for them to have these skills and knowledge.
“So are continuing to explore collaborations with other international partners and expand our partnership with local training institutions and universities such as CENTEXS, i-Cats, Sarawak Skills, Swinburne University and so on,” he said.
SMD Academy offers six-month professional courses in Application Domains, IC Design and Development and Smart Energy for graduates to master their skills.
Last month, and MOU between Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult in Newport, South Wales, United Kingdom and SMD Semiconductor Sdb Bhd signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signaling SMD’s intent to establish an office in the UK.
The overseas office aims to enable the co-creation of ideas and product development while also working with academia, industry and government in the UK and Sarawak to develop a pipeline of talents.
On another note, Shariman echoed SMD’s aspirations, as it targets to recruit 500 semiconductor professionals by the year 2030.
“Soon after we announced this aspiration, we started the first cohort of 20 graduate trainees in a 6-month training programme to be completed this August.
“They will then enter employment with Melexis or SMD,” he explained, adding that the next cohort will begin in September this year.
To help achieve the target of 500 semiconductor professionals by 2030, he said the company is offering attractive incentives for potential candidates and talents, including very competitive compensation packages.
“We also offer continuous professional development opportunities, so that our employees can be the best that they can be.
“Most importantly, they will be given the chance to work on real cutting edge projects and technologies,” he told TVS.
He added SMD will also emphasizes collaboration with academic and research insitutions, while encouraging its talents to share their ideas and projects internally for patenting and commercialising prospects.
“So these are very encouraging steps especially for those who are driven by knowledge, design and R&D activities,” said Shariman.
Shariman also highlighted the high quality of life in Sarawak for potential talents who are on the fence about moving to Sarawak, as Sarawak is rich with cultural heritage, natural beauty and tranquility, all while equipped with modern amenities.
“We want to make sure that we leverage the strengths that we have in Sarawak.
“Our aspiration is very clear, we want to produce chips that are designed and manufactured in Sarawak, so that is the brand that we want to promote.
“Not only that, we can also claim the chips are designed and developed by Sarawakians, so that is a very powerful message,” he said. – TVS
