The Penang State Government unveiled Thursday the Penang Chip Design Academy (PCDA), a cornerstone initiative positioned to reshape Malaysia’s future in integrated circuit (IC) design.
From artificial intelligence (AI) chips and high-speed memory to edge computing technologies, PCDA builds upstream design capabilities essential for global semiconductor leadership, Invest Penang said in a statement.
With a mission to train 1,000 IC design engineers, the academy reinforces Penang’s emergence as a Southeast Asian IC design epicenter — and affirms Malaysia’s readiness to lead next-generation chip innovation on the global stage.
PCDA is one of three strategic pillars under the Penang Silicon Design @5KM+ initiative, led by InvestPenang to build a tightly integrated front-end innovation ecosystem.
The initiative supports Malaysia’s broader ambition to become a regional leader in upstream semiconductor capabilities — in full alignment with the National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS) and the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030).
Spearheaded in partnership with the Penang Skills Development Centre (PSDC), PCDA is built on a strong government–industry–academia collaboration model.
Its training programs are designed by industry, for industry, and focus on four core IC design disciplines: physical design, design verification, custom layout, and analog design.
The courses target both fresh graduates and existing engineers, offering a suite of intensive 4- to 9-week IC Design Mastery Courses.
These are delivered by seasoned experts with more than two decades of hands-on experience in global semiconductor companies, ensuring real-world relevance and immediate applicability in high-impact roles.
The first cohort began training on June 16, 2025.
In response to growing industry demand for next-generation chip innovation, the academy will also offer advanced upskilling in critical technologies shaping tomorrow’s semiconductor landscape.
Its training modules cover high-speed interconnects such as Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) and Compute Express Link (CXL), as well as key memory technologies including Double Data Rate (DDR) and High Bandwidth Memory (HBM).
Additional future-tech modules — including Advanced Packaging, AI software, and emulation — will equip engineers to navigate complex design cycles, optimize system-level performance, and contribute to the development of Malaysia’s own chip architectures for global markets.
“The opening of the Penang Chip Design Academy is a strategic leap forward in Malaysia’s semiconductor ambition,” said Chow Kon Yeow, Chief Minister of Penang, who officiated the launch.
“It sends a strong signal to global investors that Penang is not only home to world-class manufacturing, but is fast becoming a hub for front-end IC design innovation — powered by a highly skilled, AI-ready local talent pool,
“This is how we begin realizing our vision of ‘Made-by-Malaysia’ chips — designed, developed, and driven by Penang talent for the world,” he added.
Looking ahead, PCDA is poised to power the next phase of Penang’s semiconductor leadership by producing a robust, AI-ready talent pipeline.
This will directly support the growth of IC design companies and catalyze Malaysia’s ambition to become a global player in high-value chip development — from design to deployment, said the statement.
SuperSiC breaks ground on new semiconductor manufacturing facility in Penang, Malaysia