Oppstar, Japan's TAI Collaborate On AI Chip Development
By Abdul Hamid A Rahman
KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 (Bernama) -- Malaysian integrated circuit (IC) design company, Oppstar Bhd is collaborating with Japan-based artificial intelligence (AI) solutions provider, Tokyo Artisan Intelligence Co Ltd (TAI), to develop a reconfigurable AI chip.
This marks Malaysia’s shift into higher-value semiconductor activities beyond traditional assembly and testing.
The collaboration combines TAI’s AI systems expertise with Oppstar’s semiconductor design capabilities to develop chips tailored for AI-driven applications, such as utilising image processing in robotics and railway safety monitoring systems.
Oppstar co-chief executive officer Ng Meng Thai said the collaboration reflects Malaysia’s increasing capability in advanced semiconductor front-end activities, particularly in chip design and AI-focused applications.
“This is actually a very exciting collaboration because both companies complement each other. TAI has expertise in developing AI systems and AI solutions, while Oppstar is designing and producing the customised reconfigurable AI chip,” he told Bernama in an interview, recently.
He said the project involves a full turnkey development process covering chip design, package design, post-silicon validation and outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) enablement.
Ng said such advanced semiconductor work has typically been dominated by multinational corporations.
“For a local fabless chip design company like Oppstar, this is an important step into more complex and higher-value semiconductor development,” he said.
TAI chief executive officer Hiroki Nakahara said the company decided to work with Oppstar after seeing Malaysia’s growing strengths in semiconductor design based on advanced process technologies.
He said TAI had initially explored semiconductor development efforts in Japan before turning to Malaysia.
“When I visited Kuala Lumpur in December 2024, I was introduced to Oppstar and discussed semiconductor design technologies with the team, and found that Oppstar has strong experience in advanced process node technologies and reconfigurable chip design,” he said.
Nakahara said Malaysia’s semiconductor ecosystem and governmental support, including wider accessibility to Arm-based intellectual property (IP) cores, also made the collaboration more attractive.
“Arm processors are very important for system-on-chip development. Collaboration with Malaysian companies gives us a better opportunity to access these technologies at competitive cost,” he said.
He said that the first-generation AI chip under development will focus on image-processing applications involving cameras, sensors and robotics control systems.
According to him, the technology is intended to support automation efforts in sectors facing labour shortages, particularly in Japan’s ageing society.
“My company’s AI chips are aimed at replacing some manpower-intensive work through AI systems integrated with cameras and robotics,” he said.
Nakahara said that applications being explored include railway station safety monitoring, robotics systems and industrial automation, adding that the technology could also eventually be deployed in Malaysia, including in public transportation infrastructure such as MRT and LRT systems.
The companies expect the first test chip to be ready by early 2027 before moving towards commercial production.
-- BERNAMA