THE Penang government, together with the Federal government through Malaysian Investment Developent Authority (MIDA), will continue working together with investors to grow Penang’s role in the global artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor space.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow shared this at the grand launch of AMD’s (Advanced Micro Devices) new office at GBS (global business services) By The Sea in Bayan Lepas today.
Chow said that as AMD marks more than five decades in Penang, this milestone affirms the state’s position as a sustainable and thriving investment destination, where companies not only set up operations but also grow and flourish.
“A few years ago, AMD came to InvestPenang to share their plans to expand, but they had trouble finding the right facility.
“That is when the state, through Penang Development Corporation (PDC), stepped in to build GBS By The Sea, a purpose-built 209,000-square-foot space, complete with high-spec infrastructure, ready for over 1,200 professionals.
“Over the years, AMD has continued to grow, forming a joint venture with Tongfu Microelectronics in 2016 and, in 2020, launching an engineering division that now boasts over 600 engineers driving world-class innovation in silicon design, validation, and customer enablement.
“As global trends shift rapidly toward frontier technologies such as AI, the state government, via InvestPenang, remains committed to supporting forward-looking investors like AMD in these transformative fields,” Chow said while adding that AMD’s new home is part of Penang Silicon Design @5km+ initiative.
Meanwhile, Chow highlighted that the state is working to grow the GBS sector in Penang, which is also a key source of high-value jobs.
“This building (GBS by The Sea) was built by PDC as an office space for GBS services and was leased out to 3 major tenants with AMD being the largest. It has lab designed to cater to specification needed.
“This is our collaboration with the industry to grow the GBS sector in Penang.
“In addition, we are planning to construct another building nearby to provide more space for GBS activities, and this is how we want to promote this sector. However, before investing hundreds of millions in the project, we need to assess the market response.
“GBS is also leveraging the E&E (electrical and electronics) sector, and in fact it is part of the ecosystem, with activities closely related to the industry,” he said during a press conference held after the ceremony.
Chow also shared that the Penang Silicon Design @5km+ initiative will offer a comprehensive IC design ecosystem, comprising three key projects,Penang IC Design & Digital Park @Bayan Lepas, Penang Chip Design Academy @PSDC, and the Silicon Research and Incubation Space.
“There is a huge reservoir of talent in the industry here, but many are currently working in multinational companies (MNCs).
“Someday, there will be group of engineers who will venture out to set up their own IC design firm which is already happening now.
“There are over 30 companies providing IC design services but not many are our local companies, so we hope to grow the local component of the IC design ecosystem,” Chow added.
Chow also said that under the Penang Silicon Design @5km+ initiative, there is still space available for start-ups, and he urged them to make full use of the facilities and equipment.
Apart from that, earlier in his speech, Chow reaffirmed that the state government’s goal is to see the first generation of ‘Made by Malaysia’ chips, designed, developed, and driven from Penang, proudly take their place in the global semiconductor market.
“AMD has also been a strong partner in talent development, running GBS courses in universities, working closely with academia, and, just yesterday, signing an MoU with the Ministry of Digital to provide Malaysian researchers with free access to its AI infrastructure,” Chow added.
Story by Tanushalini Moroter
Pix by Ahmad Adil Muhamad
Video by Noor Siti Nabilah Noorazis