- Steven DenBaar &, Nobel prize, Shuji Nakamura to identify software changes
- Digerati50 like Jaffri Ibrahim play , outsize tasks to increase Malaysia into , Asian Digital Tiger
The 6th edition of Digital News Asia’s Digerati50 annual networking event on 10th Jan, hosted by Cyberview Sdn Bhd in Cyberjaya, welcomes a very special guest – 2014 Nobel Prize Laureate in Physics, Professor Shuji Nakamura from the University of California, Santa Barbera (UCSB ).
Due to the time difference between Los Angeles and Kuala Lumpur, Nakamura may be making pre-recorded remarks to share his thoughts on the possibilities for Malaysia in the electronics industry. Prof. Steven DenBaar, his close friend and fellow scientist, will join him on stage and be available to answer questions via video visit from the US.
A former expert at HP before going into education, DenBaar, who has over 150 patents to his name, said he has worked in Penang and visited at least 40 times thus far, and hopes to make another trip immediately.
The guest of honor for Friday’s communication may become Economy Minister, Rafizi Ramli.
As to why a little in demand Nobel Laureate is also knowledgeable of the Digerati50 and would want to talk to a group of Malaysian and Indonesian based ( not all the Digerati50 are Malay, some launched their businesses around or relocated to Malaysia ) members, effectively, we have Jaffri Ibrahim, a Digerati50 who is also CEO of CREST ( Centre for Research in Engineering, Science and Technology ) to thank for.
Jaffri placed a calculated bet on a technology called Gallium Nitride ( GaN ) in 2013 on the back of industry feedback from his board of directors and indications of support from MIDA ( Malaysian Industrial Development Authority ), based on his strong belief that Malaysian talent could be trained to become a top-notch pool of GaN researchers and engineers. Simply put, powerful government support and guidance was required. It was a quest that brought Malaysia into Nakamura’s circle.
The CREST is a surprisingly uncommon Federal Government company that wasn’t based in Kuala Lumpur but focused on architecture and creativity. The powerful silicon belt that stretched from Bayan Bayu in Penang to Kulim High Tech Park in Kedah, as ideal exemplified by the rational decision to be based in Penang, which was established in 2012.
Only the silicon habitat at the time recognized the crucial role Penang played in the world semiconductor value network. It took the pandemic to bring Penang’s place in the global price ring into the forefront.
Bull on Malaysia and Penang’s potential in an increasingly electronics reliant digital market, DenBaar’s says,” Penang is the place to get if you want to start a high-tech business in the silicon ecosystem”.
Yet Jaffri could not have anticipated the astounding effect the RM76.91 million authorities funds he managed to secure, despite his own convictions about the caliber of Malay engineers to take up the GaN problem.
With that money, Universiti Sains Malaysia in Penang and Universiti Malaya in Kuala Lumpur acquired the necessary tools and developed the skills needed for GaN laboratory. At UCSB, Nakamura sponsored 13 students to pursue their PhDs. As of 2021, the GaN skills lake that was created since 2013 includes local experts who were sent to UCSB for six-month periods. It has grown to over 70 as of 2021. More than figures, the laboratories at both colleges are also recognized for their world-class study.
A more quantifiable payback occurred in 2015 when German multinational Osram (via M&, A Osram since 2020 has become ams Osram ) made the decision to construct a cutting-edge LED plant in Kulim. The plant opened in Nov 2017 with an investment of €370 million ( RM1.71 billion ), with two future planned upgrades that would take the total investment to €1 billion.
The planned expansions were carried out, and the total investments are in the range of €1 billion ( RM4.6 billion ), as confirmed by an ams OSRAM executive. Given the government’s RM76.9 million cash in 2014, this may result in an indirect gain of 60x.
The decision to choose which country to discover the facility was a key factor, according to the ams OSRAM executive, who was well-versed in the process of choosing which country to find the facility in 2014. ” If you weren’t previously building this professional skill, it didn’t matter what other bonuses you were offering”, he explained.
A Digerati50 from the 2016/2017 book, Jaffri is one of 184, generally founders but with a handful of technocrats like as him, whom DNA editors have freely identified as ‘ Those who will help form Malaysia’s Digital Economy ‘ via our again in two years print and digital version of Digerati50. ( Watch out for the upcoming March edition. )
Many of them are making similar outsized contributions to Malaysia’s digital economy, that Fahmy Fadzil, Minister of Communications who attended the 2023 Digerati50 networking, hoped would lead to Malaysia becoming a Digital Tiger of Asia.
Gobind Singh, Minister of Digital, who attended the 2024 Digerati50 Networking also echoed this ambition and said his ministry would work together with the Digerati50 to help develop Malaysia into an Asian Digital Tiger.
Rafizi, who is a key supporter of KL20, a statement of Malaysia’s commitment to support and grow a vibrant startup and entrepreneurial ecosystem, is undoubtedly enthusiastic about the plan to transform Malaysia into an Asian digital tiger.
Open to all Digerati50 and invited guests, the 6th Digerati50 Networking will be held on Fri at RekaScape, hosted by Cyberview.