SARAWAK, SOUTH KOREA FORGE STRATEGIC ALLIANCE TO DRIVE NEXT-GENERATION AI CHIP INNOVATION

KUCHING, Oct 20 (Bernama) -- SMD Semiconductor Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned company of the Sarawak government, has teamed up with South Korea’s Rebellions Inc, a leading artificial intelligence (AI) chipmaker, to advance AI chip design and semiconductor development, positioning Sarawak at the forefront of Asia’s fast-growing AI landscape.

This strategic alliance, a bold step towards realising Sarawak’s vision to emerge as a powerhouse in the global semiconductor and AI ecosystem, was highlighted during Rebellions Inc’s courtesy call on the Sarawak Premier, Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg at his office here, today.

“Rebellions Inc’s visit follows a strategic engagement by Sarawak’s delegation to the company’s headquarters in Seongnam City, South Korea, on Oct 1, led by Deputy Sarawak State Secretary Datuk Seri Dr Muhammad Abdullah Zaidel,” SMD Semiconductor said in a statement.

The alliance will be formalised through an exchange of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) during the International Digital Economy Conference Sarawak (IDECS) 2025, to be witnessed by Abang Johari on Oct 22 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching.

Rebellions Inc’s visit to Kuching included a presentation on the company’s growth prospects, target initial public offering (IPO), and potential strategic collaborations with Sarawak, providing the Premier with up-to-date insights ahead of his role as Malaysia’s keynote speaker at the ASEAN Conference on AI Adoption from Oct 26 to 28.

The Rebellions delegation was led by its chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder, Sunghyun Park, alongside co-CEO of InterVest Co Ltd, Chung Hee Woo and Director John Ha. They were joined by SMD chairman Datuk Seri Dr Wan Lizozman Wan Omar, CEO Shariman Jamil, and CEO of Ilham Capital Ventures Sdn Bhd, Abdul Aziz Abu Bakar.

A recognised leader in AI accelerator and High Bandwidth Memory technologies, Rebellions Inc designs customisable processors that deliver faster, greener and more efficient AI performance.

Its collaboration with SMD Semiconductor, Sarawak’s fabless chip design house specialising in analogue and mixed-signal integrated circuits, marks a pivotal step in building cross-border innovation and signifies a major stride towards establishing a technological alliance capable of competing with industry giants such as Nvidia Corporation.

Abang Johari expressed confidence that the collaboration aligns with Sarawak’s long-term goal of developing the Integrated Longhouse Silicon Valley — a world-class ecosystem for technology and innovation.

“Partnerships like this are key to elevating Sarawak’s position in the global semiconductor value chain. It reflects our commitment to building a strong, knowledge-driven economy that can compete and collaborate on the international stage,” he said.

Meanwhile, Wan Lizozman said the partnership represents a defining step in realising Sarawak’s aspiration to become the silicon nerve centre of Asia for advanced chip design and innovation.

“By uniting our strengths with a global AI leader like Rebellions Inc, we are not just participating in the industry’s growth — we are shaping it. This collaboration will push the boundaries of innovation and solidify Sarawak’s standing in the global semiconductor ecosystem,” he said.

SMD Semiconductor CEO Shariman Jamil described the collaboration as a landmark milestone for Sarawak’s semiconductor ambitions to lead in the global technology supply chain.

“Innovation in AI is no longer defined by Silicon Valley alone. With Rebellions’ AI expertise and SMD’s chip design capabilities, we are building a technological alliance that will set new standards for performance, sustainability, and intelligence. This is how Sarawak claims its place on the world map of semiconductor innovation,” he added.

-- BERNAMA