Malaysia's Sarawak seeks to turn itself into a chip design hub

KUCHING, Malaysia -- The resource-rich state of Sarawak is aiming for a bigger role in Malaysia's semiconductor industry as a chip design hub by building on past accomplishments through new partnerships with U.K.-based companies, SMD Semiconductor CEO Shariman Jamil told Nikkei Asia.

SMD Semiconductor, officially known as Sarawak Microelectronics Design and wholly owned by the state, is located on the island of Borneo. It was established last year to promote and identify key industry players in designing analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits.