Sarawak to Bring International Microelectronics Conference Back to Malaysia After Three Decades

© Business Events Sarawak

Sarawak is set to become the meeting point for the global microelectronics community in December, after winning the bid to host the 38th International Conference on Microelectronics (ICM 2026) — bringing the prestigious event back to Malaysia for the first time in more than three decades.

Taking place from 7 to 10 December 2026 in Kuching, with the Borneo Cultures Museum serving as a principal conference venue, ICM 2026 is expected to attract more than 300 researchers, engineers, academics and industry professionals from across the international microelectronics community. The programme will provide a platform for participants to exchange expertise and examine developments likely to shape the sector's future.

For Sarawak, however, the significance of the conference extends beyond its four-day programme. ICM 2026 aligns directly with the state's Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030, particularly its priorities around innovation, digital transformation, human capital development and advanced manufacturing. As Sarawak continues to develop its semiconductor ecosystem, the conference is intended to connect international expertise with local talent, research capabilities and industry, while examining the role of artificial intelligence (AI) as an accelerator for microelectronics development.

“ICM 2026 is an important step towards the Sarawak Government’s ambition of building a high-income economy driven by innovation and technology,” said Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn, Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Sarawak. “For Sarawak to compete in the industries of the future, we must create opportunities for our people to learn from the best, participate in global networks and turn knowledge into real opportunities. ICM brings that global community directly to us, creating opportunities for our talent and industry to learn, collaborate and turn knowledge into new possibilities for Sarawak.”

The conference's technical programme will span regular papers, special sessions, cross-society special sessions, an embedded workshop, live demonstrations, tutorials and a technical industry visit. Alongside the core programme, organisers are also developing a Sino-Malaysia workshop, a CASS Standards workshop and a CAS Industry Forum. Together, these elements are designed to broaden the conference's remit beyond academic exchange, creating additional opportunities for industry engagement, standards discussions and international collaboration.

The event also carries substantial international institutional backing. Organised by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Circuits and Systems Society (IEEE CASS), ICM 2026 will receive technical co-sponsorship from IEEE CASS and thirteen IEEE CASS chapters worldwide. The conference has secured IEEE Xplore publication approval, while selected papers will be invited for extended submission to IEEE Transactions on VLSI Systems, Neuroelectronics and the Journal of Integrated Circuits and Systems, subject to the respective journals' review processes.

For Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak), the conference illustrates the strategic value of attracting specialised international meetings whose subject matter corresponds closely with a destination's economic and development ambitions.

“Winning ICM 2026 demonstrates the strategic value of attracting specialised international conferences that align with local development priorities,” said Jason Tan Chin Foo, Chief Executive Officer of Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak). “The conference is expected to generate RM2.5 million in total estimated economic impact, but its greater value is what it can leave in the long-term. ICM can be a powerful catalyst to strengthen Sarawak’s growing electronics sector through new knowledge, connections and opportunities that continue well beyond the conference. BESarawak is proud to support legacy-driven events such as ICM 2026.”

That emphasis on longer-term value is particularly pertinent as Sarawak seeks to strengthen its position within the semiconductor and electronics landscape. The conference is expected to provide access not only to specialist knowledge, but also to international networks, research relationships and industry connections capable of continuing beyond the event itself.

AI will be one of the central threads running through those conversations. As the computational demands of artificial intelligence expand, microelectronics and hardware efficiency are becoming increasingly consequential to the technology's development, particularly in relation to speed, energy consumption and sustainability.

“The next big step for AI is not only about smarter software, but also building better and more efficient technology to power it,” said Ts. Ir. Dr Fakhrul Zaman Rokhani, IEEE CASS Vice President for Education and Communications and General Chair for ICM2026. “ICM 2026 will explore how we can make AI faster, more energy-efficient and more sustainable through advances in microelectronics and hardware. Bringing these global conversations to Malaysia via Sarawak gives professionals and young talent in the region greater access to the ideas and technologies shaping our future.”

ICM 2026 is being delivered with the IEEE CASS Malaysia Chapter as co-financial sponsor and an active contributor to the organising committee. Supporting organisations include the Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD), BESarawak, the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Sarawak Microelectronics Design (SMD) Semiconductor Sdn Bhd and Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak. The Academy of Sciences Malaysia will participate as the conference's Science & Technology Partner.

The breadth of the supporting network reflects the event's intended role as a bridge between academia, industry, government and the emerging technology ecosystem. Researchers, scientists, academics, entrepreneurs, engineers, policymakers and industry professionals working across circuits, systems and related technologies are being invited to contribute to the conference's discussions and collaborations.

With ICM returning to Malaysia after more than thirty years, Sarawak will therefore have an opportunity to position Kuching not simply as the host city for an international scientific gathering, but as a meeting ground between global microelectronics expertise and an economy seeking to build greater technological depth of its own.
 

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