CREST Open Day 2026 highlights Malaysia’s opportunity to lead ASEAN’s semiconductor growth

• CREST showcased initiatives to strengthen IC design, AI adoption and workforce development
• Industry leaders say innovation, talent and collaboration will drive Malaysia’s semiconductor growth

Malaysia is well-positioned to play a leading role in ASEAN’s next phase of semiconductor growth, supported by its mature ecosystem, strong collaboration between industry, academia and government, and expanding capabilities in innovation, talent development and advanced technologies, according to industry leaders at CREST Open Day 2026.

Organised by the Collaborative Research in Engineering, Science and Technology (CREST), the event brought together industry leaders, policymakers, researchers, academia, technology providers and ecosystem partners to examine the opportunities and challenges shaping Malaysia’s semiconductor and electronics (E&E) industry.

The discussions come at a pivotal time for the sector. Recently, Sim Tze Tzin, deputy minister of Investment, Trade and Industry reaffirmed, that Malaysia possesses Southeast Asia’s most comprehensive semiconductor ecosystem, spanning the entire value chain from materials and suppliers to advanced assembly, testing, packaging and integrated circuit (IC) design. The country currently accounts for approximately 13% of global semiconductor testing and packaging activities, reinforcing its long-standing role in the global semiconductor supply chain.

Delivering the industry outlook, Ravi Krishnaswamy, managing director and regional leader, Asia Pacific, Frost & Sullivan, said geopolitical realignments, supply chain diversification and growing semiconductor demand are reshaping global investment flows.

As multinational companies seek more resilient supply chains, ASEAN is emerging as an increasingly attractive investment destination. With decades of manufacturing expertise, an established talent base and an integrated ecosystem, Malaysia is well positioned to capture higher-value opportunities in semiconductor design, advanced packaging, product development and technology commercialisation.

Speaking at the event, CREST CEO Jaffri Ibrahim (pic) said Malaysia now has an opportunity to build on five decades of semiconductor leadership by strengthening innovation, developing world-class talent and deepening ecosystem collaboration.

“Malaysia has built a strong reputation as a global semiconductor hub over the past five decades. Today, we have an opportunity to build on that foundation by strengthening our innovation capabilities, developing world-class talent and deepening collaboration across the ecosystem.

“As ASEAN becomes an increasingly important region within the global semiconductor landscape, Malaysia is well positioned to lead. CREST remains committed to serving as a trusted platform connecting government, industry and academia to accelerate innovation, create high-value opportunities and strengthen Malaysia’s competitiveness,” he said.

Throughout the event, speakers reinforced that Malaysia’s future competitiveness will depend on moving beyond manufacturing towards innovation-led growth and intellectual property creation, in line with the National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS).

Industry experts from Infineon Technologies and ams OSRAM highlighted the growing importance of wide-bandgap semiconductor technologies such as Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN), which are expected to play an increasingly important role in electric vehicles, renewable energy, industrial automation and next-generation electronics.

The event also explored how artificial intelligence is transforming manufacturing. Panellists agreed that AI offers significant opportunities to improve productivity, quality and operational efficiency, but stressed that successful adoption requires workforce readiness, digital capabilities and stronger collaboration between manufacturers, technology providers and research institutions.

Talent development remained another key focus. Through discussions on the Engineering Talent for Semiconductor Industry (ETSI) initiative, representatives from CREST, HRD Corp and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia highlighted the need to strengthen Malaysia’s semiconductor talent pipeline through industry-relevant training, microcredentials and workforce upskilling aligned with the NSS.

CREST also showcased collaborative initiatives including MYChipStart, the RF Centre of Excellence and ETSI, demonstrating how partnerships across government, industry and academia are strengthening Malaysia’s capabilities in IC design, advanced communications technologies, semiconductor innovation and workforce development.

The event concluded with technology showcases highlighting innovations developed through collaborative R&D initiatives between industry and academia, demonstrating how research can be translated into commercial applications that strengthen Malaysia’s semiconductor ecosystem.

As Malaysia advances its NSS participants agreed sustained investment in innovation, talent and ecosystem collaboration will be critical to moving the country further up the semiconductor value chain and strengthening its position within ASEAN’s growing semiconductor industry.