CYBERJAYA: The Selangor state government, via the Selangor Information Technology and Digital Economy Corporation and Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd, has partnered Artem Venture Fund to establish the Selangor Semiconductor Fund, also known as Ehsan Capital, to empower the industry.
Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said Ehsan Capital aims to raise over RM100 million and will be operational this month. It will focus on investments in at least seven high-potential local startups in semiconductor design and technology.
“The establishment of this fund is not limited to being just a financial instrument. Instead, it is the state government’s long-term commitment to nurture local expertise in research, development, and technological design.
“Malaysia will not only be a user of technology but a regional innovator,” Amirudin said at the launch of Malaysia Semiconductor Integrated Circuit (IC) Design Park 2 here yesterday, officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Amirudin said semiconductors are a key focus area under the New Industrial Master Plan (NIMP 2030) and positions Malaysia among the world’s top 30 economies by 2030.
“With strong Madani Government support through the ARM Design Token initiative, semiconductor companies have the potential to grow rapidly and be publicly listed within the next three to four years. This will boost investor confidence and attract more venture capital interest in Malaysia’s semiconductor ecosystem,” Amirudin said.
As for the IC Design Park 1 in Puchong, Selangor, he said more global semiconductor giants are showing interest in setting up operations.
“The current space is, however, limited. We are, therefore, moving into a new phase with the launch of the second IC Design Park here at Coplace 9 Cyberjaya, to further strengthen Selangor’s position as the country’s main semiconductor hub.
“This second phase will house the advanced chip testing centre and advanced training facilities under the Advanced Semiconductor Academy of Malaysia,” he said.
The advanced chip testing centre will be the only world-class facility in the region. It will be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and services, including advanced chip design emulation, chip prototype development, chip verification testing, and advanced device testing.
Selangor is also introducing a policy anchored on local economic development via the Local Economy Development Policy, which prioritises the data centre industry.
The policy has set a 30% local content target for every new data centre investment to ensure that local companies, technology providers, and the Malaysian workforce directly benefit from the digital industry growth. – Bernama
