Coherent Corp. has opened its new Datacom Research and Development (R&D) Center in Penang, Malaysia—underscoring the company’s strategic commitment to serving its rapidly growing global markets.

The launching ceremony was attended by Datuk Sikh Shamsul Ibrahim Sikh Abdul Majid, Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA); Dato’ Loo Lee Lian, CEO of Invest Penang; Grace Lee, Chief People Officer, Coherent; as well as other Coherent personnel.

Situated at Menara IJM Land, the Penang R&D Center joins the company’s expanding network in Malaysia, complementing its larger manufacturing sites in Ipoh, Perak and Perai, Penang, further maximizing transceiver supply from Malaysian factories.

“The National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS), introduced in 2024, lays out Malaysia’s plan to strengthen its position in the global semiconductor supply chain. One of the NSS’s core priorities is supporting high-value R&D and advanced technologies—exactly the kind of work Coherent is doing here in Penang. The strategy also aims to deepen Malaysia’s local capabilities in areas like chip packaging, photonics, and silicon technologies, creating the kind of ecosystem that benefits global innovators. As Coherent develops next-generation optical transceiver technologies at this new facility, it stands to gain from the strong pipeline of talent being built through the NSS. MIDA is committed to supporting Coherent’s journey not only in the past and present, but well into the future,” said Ibrahim.

“Coherent Malaysia takes pride in how strategically we are positioned to support the company’s overall growth. Our successful establishment over nearly 25 years has played a critical role in strengthening our global value chain through ongoing expansion plans, and we are confident that our footprint in Penang will spearhead innovation in advanced photonics technology,” said Jimmy Ling, Vice President and Managing Director of Coherent Malaysia.

“Penang is an ideal location, thanks to its well-established high-tech industry and a strong pool of technical talent capable of supporting our R&D growth plans,” Jimmy Wu, Vice President of Engineering, Asia R&D.

The new center comes equipped with impressive capabilities that put it at the forefront of optical technology, including next-generation silicon photonics solutions for optical transceivers; advanced development facilities for 400G, 800G, and 1.6T optical transceiver modules; and specialized testing environments for AI and cloud computing applications.

This expansion strengthens Coherent’s ability to serve its global markets while creating valuable connections between its manufacturing sites in Ipoh, Perak and Perai, Penang and its R&D operations in Shanghai.

By: DocMemory
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