Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) has received a donation of state-of-the-art Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software licences from Dato’ Swee Kiang (SK) Fong, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of SkyeChip Berhad, a semiconductor design company based in Penang. Valued at an estimated RM272,160, the contribution marks another significant milestone in university-industry collaboration, particularly in strengthening UTM’s capabilities in advanced integrated circuit (IC) design and artificial intelligence (AI) hardware development.
The contribution comprises a comprehensive suite of 35 Synopsys EDA software tools, Version 2026, with 10 licence copies for each tool for a period of one year. The software covers the complete IC design flow, including frontend design, synthesis, verification, simulation, formal verification, backend physical design, timing and power analysis, as well as design-for-test (DFT).
Access to these industry-grade software tools will enable UTM students and researchers to gain hands-on experience with tools that are widely used in the global semiconductor industry. This facility is expected to strengthen talent development while enhancing UTM’s research and development (R&D) capabilities in chip design.
Strengthening the I.Chip Research Centre
The contribution will benefit UTM’s Faculty of Electrical Engineering and the Centre for Intelligent Integrated Circuits (I.Chip), which serves as a research centre focusing on intelligent integrated circuits, hardware architecture, embedded systems and AI chip technologies.
Chip development and semiconductor research, particularly in high-performance AI chip design, require access to sophisticated EDA software. The high cost of commercial licences is often one of the major challenges faced by academic institutions in providing comprehensive, industry-oriented chip design training.
The contribution from SkyeChip provides UTM with access to a more complete IC design flow within the university environment. This facility will enable researchers and students to undertake the design, simulation, verification and optimisation of microelectronic architectures in a more comprehensive manner.
Semiconductor technology development is also a long-term process requiring sustained R&D, talent development and infrastructure. Access to advanced design software will therefore help UTM bridge the gap between academic research and industrial practice, while creating opportunities to develop chip designs that can potentially be translated into prototypes and real-world applications.
SkyeChip: Strengthening Malaysia’s Chip Design Capabilities
Established in 2019 and based in Penang, SkyeChip Berhad is among the Malaysian companies actively involved in chip design and silicon intellectual property (IP) development. The company focuses on the development of IP and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) to enhance the efficiency of computing systems.
In 2025, SkyeChip introduced MARS1000, an Edge AI processor developed entirely by Malaysian engineers. The development represents an important achievement in strengthening Malaysia’s domestic capabilities in chip design for AI applications.
SkyeChip has also developed a growing portfolio of technology and intellectual property, while establishing connections with international semiconductor industry networks. On 20 May 2026, SkyeChip was listed on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia, marking another significant milestone in the growth of a Malaysian technology company in the semiconductor sector.
Connecting Alumni, University and Industry
For Dato’ SK Fong, the collaboration with UTM holds special significance as he is an alumnus of the university. He graduated with a First Class Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, UTM.
With more than three decades of experience in the semiconductor and technology industries, Dato’ SK Fong spent more than 20 years at Intel Corporation, where he played an important role in establishing the Intel Design Center in Malaysia. He subsequently served as Vice President of R&D at Altera Corporation and as a Senior Director at Broadcom.
His contribution to the university that helped shape the foundation of his education and career is an example of how alumni can play an important role in strengthening the higher education and industrial ecosystem in Malaysia. Under his leadership, SkyeChip has also established collaboration with UTM to promote research in AI and advanced computing, industry lectures and talent development.
This collaboration further highlights the importance of strategic university-industry partnerships in developing a highly skilled workforce to support the growth of Malaysia’s semiconductor sector.
Through this EDA software contribution, UTM and SkyeChip are not only strengthening research and learning facilities, but also creating a platform for developing local talent, technology and innovation in chip design and AI. The initiative is aligned with efforts to strengthen Malaysia’s semiconductor value chain and develop more engineers and researchers capable of competing in the global technology industry.
