Kuala lumpur: Discussions on quantum technology often appear distant from industrial reality. They are commonly associated with quantum computers, advanced laboratories, and the strategic competition among major powers. For Malaysia, however, the more immediate question is not who will build the first powerful quantum computer. The more important question is this: which technology is closest to our existing strengths and can help the country build ownership of future technologies?

According to BERNAMA News Agency, one answer is silicon photonics. In simple terms, silicon photonics is a technology that uses light to carry and process information inside silicon chips. Conventional electronic chips rely on the flow of electrons, whereas silicon photonics uses photons, or particles of light. The principle of using light for communication is not new, as fibre optics has long served as the backbone of the global internet. What makes silicon photonics different is that it brings optical functions directly into silicon chips, using semiconductor manufacturing processes already familiar to industry.

This is where the technology becomes important for Malaysia. The country already has a mature semiconductor ecosystem, a skilled technical workforce, experience in chip packaging and testing, and the presence of global companies that have built long-standing supply chains here. These strengths should not be viewed merely as manufacturing advantages; they can become a foundation for Malaysia to move into higher-value technology platforms. Silicon photonics offers Malaysia an opportunity to move beyond being a processing location for technologies developed elsewhere, positioning the country as a developer of enabling platforms.

In quantum technology, such platforms matter because many future applications require precise control of light, compact device integration, system stability, and compatibility with existing communication networks. One important example is quantum communication, where technologies such as quantum key distribution aim to enable the exchange of digital security keys using quantum principles.

To become practical, these systems must be smaller, more stable, scalable, and compatible with existing fibre networks. Silicon photonics can serve as an engineering bridge towards that goal. It is important to be clear: silicon photonics is not a quantum computer, nor is it the answer to every quantum challenge. Rather, it is an engineering platform that links semiconductors, photonics, and quantum applications. For Malaysia, that is precisely its strategic value. The country does not have to start from zero; it can build from foundations that already exist.

Several developments show that this opportunity is not merely theoretical. SilTerra in Kulim Hi-Tech Park has begun participating in silicon photonics chip development through international collaboration, including applications related to quantum computing and communication systems. Infineon opened the first phase of its silicon carbide facility in Kulim in 2024, involving an investment of £2 billion. Although silicon carbide is not silicon photonics, the investment signals global confidence in Malaysia's front-end semiconductor and engineering ecosystem.

In chip design, Oppstar reflects the emergence of local capability that is increasingly relevant to Malaysia's semiconductor ambitions. At the research level, the Institute of Microengineering and Nanoelectronics, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, or IMEN UKM, occupies an important position. Rooted in UKM's early development of microfabrication laboratories and cleanroom facilities since the 1990s, IMEN is among the country's early centres in microelectronics, nanofabrication, and nanotechnology. Its recognition by MOSTI in 2011 as a NanoMalaysia Centre of Excellence, or NanoCoE, further strengthens its role as a national reference point relevant to the development of quantum silicon photonics.

However, institutions such as IMEN cannot operate in isolation. Malaysia needs stronger coordination among universities, industry, government agencies, and international partners. Without a coherent ecosystem, research strengths may remain disconnected from industrial needs, while industrial opportunities may not translate into local technology ownership.

The market opportunity is also becoming clearer. The global silicon photonics market was valued at more than US$2 billion in 2024 and is projected to approach US$10 billion by 2030. This growth is driven by data centres, artificial intelligence, high-speed communication, sensors, and next-generation networks. At the same time, geopolitical pressures are increasing the value of stable locations with established industrial bases, including Malaysia.

Yet this opportunity will not automatically become a national advantage. Malaysia needs a specific direction in photonic circuit design, device fabrication, system integration, optical packaging, standardised testing, and realistic quantum applications. If semiconductors have made Malaysia important in the global supply chain, silicon photonics can help the country move to a higher position in the technology value chain. The question is not whether the foundation exists. It does. The question is whether Malaysia can organise it into a clear national agenda before it once again becomes only the place where other people's technologies are processed.