KUALA LUMPUR, 13 May 2026 – The 31st edition of SEMICON Southeast Asia (SEMICON SEA) 2026 wrapped up at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), showcasing Southeast Asia’s accelerating shift up the global semiconductor value chain and reinforcing Malaysia’s strategic importance in the industry.
Organised by SEMI and supported by the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) and the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), the three-day event under the theme Transform Tomorrow brought together industry leaders, policymakers, manufacturers, suppliers and emerging talent to discuss technologies, partnerships and priorities driving the sector’s next growth phase.
This year’s edition drew close to 20,000 attendees from over 57 countries and regions, featured more than 700 exhibiting companies across 1,519 booths and 10 global pavilions, and hosted a robust programme with over 105 speakers.
The event highlighted progress in intelligent manufacturing, sustainability, talent development and supply chain resilience.
“SEMI’s role is to connect the global semiconductor ecosystem and help translate alignment into action. Through platforms like SEMICON Southeast Asia, we bring industry, government and academia together to address gaps in talent, coordinate supply chains and accelerate technology adoption,” said Ajit Manocha, President & CEO of SEMI.
“This kind of collaboration is essential to scaling the industry in a more resilient and sustainable way.”
A major draw was the Intelligent Manufacturing Showcase, powered by Sandisk and SEMI, which attracted more than 400 visitors. The immersive experience demonstrated how AI, automation, data digitalisation and human-machine collaboration are already transforming semiconductor fabs into smarter, more responsive operations.
“Intelligent manufacturing is no longer a future concept — it is already shaping how semiconductor fabs operate today,” said Boon Soo Lim, VP & GM of SDSM Operations, Sandisk.
“By integrating data, AI and automation, we are enabling faster decision-making, improving efficiency and building more resilient operations to meet growing global demand.”
The event aligned closely with Malaysia’s National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS), which targets over RM500 billion in investments in its first phase while strengthening local capabilities across the entire semiconductor ecosystem.Key side events included:
- Executive Leadership Summit – Focused on scaling amid AI-driven demand, capital intensity, operational complexity and supply chain resilience.
- Sustainability Summit – Addressed energy use, emissions, water management and regulatory pressures, with practical solutions for greener operations.
- Advanced Packaging & Heterogeneous Integration Summit – Explored chiplets, panel-level packaging, silicon photonics and metrology for high-performance computing and AI applications.
- MIDA Forums – Emphasised digitalisation, SME development and closer collaboration between multinationals, local suppliers and government.
- Workforce Development programmes – The Tech Zoomers Bootcamp and TalentCONNECT engaged more than 800 students, connecting them with industry leaders from Applied Materials, GlobalFoundries, Sandisk and others.
Ajit Manocha added that SEMICON Southeast Asia will return to MITEC, Kuala Lumpur, from 25–27 May 2027.Industry stakeholders interested in participating in next year’s event can register their interest via the official form:
https://discover.semi.org/semicon-southeast-asia-interest-form.htmlThe successful conclusion of SEMICON SEA 2026 not only celebrates record participation but signals Southeast Asia’s — and Malaysia’s — growing influence in the global semiconductor landscape as the industry moves toward higher-value segments such as IC design and advanced packaging.
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