COHERENT Corp, a global leader in photonics, marked a new milestone with the official opening of its Datacom Research and Development (R&D) Center in Penang yesterday, underscoring its strategic commitment to serving rapidly growing global markets.
The launch ceremony was officiated by InvestPenang Chief Executive Officer Datuk Loo Lee Lian, representing Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, and attended by Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) CEO Datuk Sikh Shamsul Ibrahim Sikh Abdul Majid, Coherent Chief People Officer Grace Lee, and other senior executives.
Located at Menara IJM Land, the new Penang R&D Center complements Coherent’s larger manufacturing facilities in Ipoh, Perak, and Perai, Penang, further optimising the company’s optical transceiver supply chain from its Malaysian operations.
Loo said Penang is well-positioned to support frontier technologies as global trends accelerate in artificial intelligence (AI), next-generation connectivity, and digital infrastructure.
“The establishment of Coherent Malaysia’s first Datacom R&D Center marks a significant milestone, not only for Coherent, but also for Penang, as we welcome another global technology leader deepening its innovation footprint in our state.
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“This expansion reinforces Penang’s capability in driving innovation across high-tech sectors and reflects our position as a premier hub for R&D and advanced technology excellence,” she said.
Shamsul highlighted the alignment between Coherent’s expansion and Malaysia’s National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS), introduced in 2024, which aims to strengthen the country’s role in the global semiconductor supply chain.
“One of the NSS’s core priorities is supporting high-value R&D and advanced technologies — exactly the kind of work Coherent is doing here in Penang. The strategy also aims to deepen Malaysia’s local capabilities in areas like chip packaging, photonics, and silicon technologies, creating the kind of ecosystem that benefits global innovators,” Shamsul said.
He added that Coherent will benefit from Malaysia’s growing talent pipeline, a key focus of the NSS, and reaffirmed MIDA’s commitment to supporting the company’s long-term journey.
Jimmy Ling, Vice-President and Managing Director of Coherent Malaysia, said the company’s nearly 25-year presence in Malaysia has been critical to its global success.
“Our continued expansion strengthens Coherent’s global value chain, and we are confident that our Penang footprint will spearhead innovation in advanced photonics technology,” he said.
Jimmy Wu, Vice-President of Engineering, Asia R&D, added that Penang offers the ideal ecosystem for R&D growth, with a strong high-tech industry base and a skilled talent pool.
The new centre comes equipped with impressive capabilities that put it at the forefront of optical technology:
- Next-generation silicon photonics solutions for optical transceivers
- Advanced development facilities for 400G, 800G, and 1.6T optical transceiver modules
- Specialised testing environments for AI and cloud computing applications
This expansion strengthens Coherent’s ability to serve global markets while creating seamless connections between its manufacturing hubs in Ipoh and Perai and its R&D operations in Penang and Shanghai.
Pix courtesy of Coherent Corp