Nurturing future chip designers in Penang

The Star

4 days ago

Academy in Bayan Lepas targets 1,000 graduates in five years
THE Penang Chip Design Academy (PCDA) plans to train more than 1,000 graduates and working professionals in integrated circuit (IC) design-related fields over the next five years.
Penang Skills Development Centre (PSDC) chairman Solomon Lorthu said at present the PCDA lab, located within the centre in Bayan Lepas, can accommodate up to 25 students with four courses offered.
'PSDC is committed to delivering a comprehensive chip design talent cultivation programme with the goal of upskilling and reskilling at least 1,000 fresh graduates and working professionals in IC design-related fields over the next five years.
'We are proud to co-fund this special initiative by providing the space and the setting up of a fully equipped PCDA Lab.
'This lab can accommodate up to 25 participants, is powered by state-of-the-art systems and the leading electronic design automation software, Synopsys.
'As a start, the academy offers four courses – Physical Design, Design Verification, Analog Design and Custom Layout.
'These courses are designed and crafted referencing the syllabus by Synopsys IC Design and Education Programme.
'The duration of these programmes ranges between four to eight weeks,' he said at the opening ceremony of the academy.
Solomon said more programmes would be added in due course, with the pilot class on custom layout already underway since June 16 and with an inaugural batch of 14 trainees from various institutions.
He said such programmes were designed not just to train but to bridge the gap between academia and industry by equipping people with hands-on experience and job-ready skills.
According to Solomon, the initiative marks a major milestone in PSDC's efforts to accelerate the development of the IC design sector in the country.
'The idea behind the PCDA began in early 2024, when InvestPenang, speaking to industry leaders and taking stock of the evolving industry landscape, approached PSDC to establish a dedicated training centre to support the growing needs of the IC design ecosystem.
'Looking ahead, PSDC remains committed to growing the talent pool in IC design and aligning with the vision to be the preferred investment destination and hub for the global semiconductor industry,' he added.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, present at the ceremony, said PCDA was among three strategic pillars under the Penang Silicon Design @5KM+ initiative through its lead agency, InvestPenang, aligned with the National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS).
The two other pillars are Penang IC Design & Digital Park located at Bayan Lepas and Silicon Research & Incubation Space at GBS TechSpace.
He said the initiative – a collaboration between government, academia and industry – aimed to accelerate the Al revolution and position Malaysia as a leader in providing end-to-end solutions.
'The academy is positioned to reshape the country's future in IC design.
'From artificial intelligence chips and high-speed memory to edge computing technologies, PCDA builds upstream design capabilities essential for global semiconductor leadership.
'The academy reinforces Penang's emergence as a South-East Asian IC design epicentre and affirms Malaysia's readiness to lead next-generation chip innovation on the global stage.
He said initiative aims to build a tightly integrated front-end innovation ecosystem.
'The Penang Silicon Design @5KM+ initiative supports Malaysia's broader ambition to become a regional leader in upstream semiconductor capabilities in full alignment with the NSS and the New Industrial Master Plan 2030.'
With a complete ecosystem for IC design and pool of talent ready in the industry, Chow said it would help attract more foreign investors to enhance their operations.
In response to growing industry demand for next-generation chip innovation, Chow said the academy would also offer advanced upskilling in critical technologies of the semiconductor landscape.
He also added that future-tech modules, including Advanced Packaging, AI software and emulation, would equip engineers to navigate complex design cycles, optimise system-level performance and contribute to the development of Malaysia's own chip architectures for global markets.
Also present at the launch was InvestPenang chief executive officer Datuk Loo Lee Lian and PSDC chief executive officer Dr Hari Narayanan.