By Lim How Pim
KUCHING (Oct 6): SMD Semiconductor Sdn Bhd unveiled Sarawak’s first locally-designed Gallium Nitride (GaN) power semiconductor chip, keteq.GaN yesterday at the International Digital Economy Conference Sarawak (IDECS) 2026 opening ceremony.
The keteq.GaN Power Module is developed by SMD, and is developed for next-generation power electronics, with applications spanning artificial intelligence infrastructure, renewable energy, battery energy storage systems, smart grids, and future solid-state transformers.
In a statement, SMD said keteq.GaN’s launch comes just four years after the company’s establishment in 2022, and marks an important step in its progression from building semiconductor capabilities to developing and launching its own GaN power semiconductor chip.
“More importantly, keteq.GaN represents SMD’s move into developing and owning high-value semiconductor technology and intellectual property, with the ambition of taking technology developed in Sarawak into real industrial applications and markets beyond the state,” it said.
It added the launch of keteq.GaN reflected Sarawak’s broader shift towards a more technology-driven, high-value economy.
SMD said GaN is a wide-bandgap semiconductor technology that is increasingly being used in power electronics where efficiency, power density and power management are becoming more important.
“As digital infrastructure expands and energy systems become more distributed and intelligent, power semiconductors play an increasingly important role in how electricity is converted, managed and delivered.
“For keteq.GaN, this translates into a focus on applications where efficient power conversion and management are critical, from AI infrastructure and renewable energy to battery energy storage systems (BESS), smart grids, next-generation grid infrastructure, and radiation-hardened solutions for space applications,” it said.
SMD said the development of keteq.GaN also reflected the convergence between Sarawak’s energy strengths and its growing semiconductor capabilities.
“As energy systems become increasingly digital, distributed and intelligent, technologies that enable electricity to be converted, stored and managed more efficiently are becoming increasingly important.
“This convergence creates opportunities for Sarawak to develop technology not only around energy generation, but also around the systems and power electronics that support how energy is used and managed,” it added.
The company said the applications targeted by keteq.GaN reflected the growing importance of efficient power management across digital infrastructure and the energy transition.
Meanwhile, SMD also showcased its technologies and capabilities at the SMD Semiconductor Pavilion during IDECS 2026.
Following the launch, SMD, in collaboration with the Microelectronics Research and Development Institute (MRDI) Hong Kong, and Gobi Partners, convened an engagement session with industry stakeholders to exchange views on industry capabilities, requirements and opportunities, and to explore potential areas of collaboration to strengthen Sarawak’s semiconductor and foundry ecosystem.
“The engagement further connects the keteq.GaN launch with the broader effort to build industry linkages and pathways for semiconductor technology development.
“The unveiling of keteq.GaN therefore marks more than the introduction of a new semiconductor technology. It represents a tangible step in Sarawak’s progression from laying the foundations of a semiconductor industry to developing its own technology and building the capabilities, partnerships, industrial applications and market pathways needed to take that technology further,” it said.
