PUCHONG – Weeroc Space, a semiconductor innovator supported by the Malaysia Semiconductor IC Design Park, has successfully achieved a tapeout milestone—marking a critical step in the journey from chip design to manufacturing.
Tapeout represents the point at which a semiconductor design is finalised and sent to fabrication, signalling readiness for production and commercialisation. For Malaysia, such milestones reflect a growing capability not just to manufacture, but to design and develop advanced semiconductor technologies.
Weeroc Space is the aerospace arm of France-based Weeroc, a European innovator in analogue and mixed-signal ICs for demanding environments. Its presence at the Malaysia Semiconductor IC Design Park highlights the success of efforts to attract high-value global players while strengthening domestic capabilities in chip design.
According to Dr. Salleh Ahmad, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Weeroc, this milestone represents a defining achievement for a fabless semiconductor company, marking the completion of a rigorous design and validation process.
“It marks the completion of the chip design phase, when the final blueprint is sent to the foundry for fabrication, an achievement that all fabless semiconductor companies strive for, as it signifies the culmination of extensive design efforts.
“From there, the team awaits the manufactured chip, which will then undergo testing and characterisation before being integrated into their products.
“It's quite important given that there are very few companies that are able to tape-out their own products. I think we are a few among companies in Malaysia which are capable of doing that,” he added.
Tapeout as a Critical Step in Semiconductor Development
Tapeout is widely regarded as one of the most critical stages in the semiconductor lifecycle. It signifies that a design has passed rigorous verification processes and is ready to be manufactured into physical silicon. Any errors at this stage can result in costly delays, making accuracy and thorough validation essential.
For Weeroc Space, the milestone not only validates its engineering capabilities but also strengthens its commercial positioning—enabling the company to engage customers with greater confidence and accelerate the introduction of new products to market.
More broadly, achievements such as this signal the increasing maturity of Malaysia’s semiconductor ecosystem. As more companies reach advanced development stages, it reflects a strengthening pipeline of innovation, technical expertise, and global competitiveness.
Weeroc Space also acknowledges the strong support of its ecosystem partners, whose contributions have been instrumental to this milestone.
In particular, the company recognizes X-FAB for enabling access to advanced semiconductor manufacturing capabilities, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) for its collaboration in talent development and research, and Cadence Design Systems for providing the design tools and environment critical to IC development.
These partnerships underscore the strength of the collaborative ecosystem supporting semiconductor innovation in Malaysia.
Shaping the Future of Semiconductor Excellence
As Weeroc expands its product pipeline, the demand for skilled talent will continue to grow, creating more opportunities in advanced IC design while reflecting the company’s commitment to empowering Malaysian engineers.
To support this vision, Weeroc is actively nurturing local talent through collaborations with institutions such as ASEM and universities including Universiti Malaya, UiTM, APU, and UKM. Through targeted upskilling programmes and postgraduate pathways, the company is building a strong pipeline of engineers to drive future innovation and industry growth.