Malaysia targets 2030 for first Arm-partnered chip production

Malaysia aims to have its first semiconductor products, developed through a strategic partnership with Arm Limited, enter the production stage by 2030.

Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir stated that the development of chip designs is expected to take approximately three years once companies gain access to Arm's intellectual property (IP). Currently, four companies are in the early stages of design and IP assessment. Two additional local companies have received offer letters, bringing the total number of entities with technology access to eight.

Access to technology is being distributed through the Arm Compute Subsystem and Arm Flexible Access, with the government monitoring progress to ensure product viability. The timeline accounts for the design phase, which is expected to conclude around 2028 for the first group of companies, followed by the transition to manufacturing and market readiness.