‘Create Steve Jobs, not just jobs’: Sarawak nurtures homegrown tech innovators to lead the global chip race

KUCHING (Jan 23): Sarawak aims to produce as many homegrown innovators — its own ‘Steve Jobs’ — to drive the state to the forefront of the global semiconductor industry, said Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn.

Speaking at the Completion Ceremony for the Digital IC Design Cohort 1 under the Semiconductor Mastery Programme at the SMD Academy here, the State Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development stressed the importance of equipping Sarawak’s talent with practical, industry-relevant skills.

“By equipping participants with hands-on IC (integrated circuit) design skills, Sarawak is not merely preparing job-ready graduates. We are building confidence, ownership of knowledge and long-term strategic relevance for the state.

“As mentioned by (Sarawak State Financial Secretary and SMD Semiconductor chairman) Dato Sri Dr Wan Lizozman Wan Omar, we want to create many Steve Jobs, not just jobs,” he said in his special address.

Sagah noted that digital IC design sits at the core of the global semiconductor value chain.

“It is where ideas are translated into architectures, where innovation becomes functional intelligence, and where long-term value is created,” he said.

He said the programme, jointly organised by SMD Semiconductor and the Centre of Technical Excellence Sarawak (Centexs), aligns with the Sarawak Semiconductor Roadmap 2030 — Beyond Moore’s Law, which places talent development at the centre of the state’s technology strategy.

Sagah emphasised that public-private collaboration is crucial in translating policy into measurable skills and capabilities.

Addressing the graduates, he said: “You should take pride in what you have achieved. You are the first cohort to complete a structured, roadmap-aligned digital IC design programme in Sarawak.

“Your journey does not end here. As the semiconductor ecosystem grows, your role will expand, bringing greater responsibility and opportunity.”

He also encouraged the graduates to uphold discipline, ethics and curiosity alongside their technical skills.

Sagah highlighted that the Sarawak government provides free education for students enrolling in Sarawak-owned universities, particularly in engineering-related fields, as part of efforts to strengthen the state’s talent pipeline.

At the ceremony, 12 participants from various backgrounds received their Certificates of Completion from Sagah.

Also present were Wan Lizozman; Deputy Sarawak State Attorney-General and SMD Semiconductor board member Datu John Wayne Chamberlin Sirau; Centexs CEO Dato Syeed Mohd Hussien Wan Abd Rahman; and SMD Semiconductor CEO Shariman Jamil.