MUSCAT, SEPT 23
Oman-backed GS Microelectronics US Inc (GSME) is expanding its presence in the US semiconductor industry through a multi-year partnership with Nasdaq-listed Teradyne to establish an advanced test and evaluation centre targeting artificial intelligence and other next-generation chips.
GSME, in which Oman Investment Authority-owned ITHCA Group holds a 34.25 per cent stake, will establish the facility at its new 42,000-square-foot Silicon Valley headquarters. The centre is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2026.
The partnership, announced on September 22, will combine GSME’s semiconductor design and manufacturing capabilities with Teradyne’s automated test platforms. The centre will support devices used in hyperscale AI, silicon photonics, automotive applications, power management and radio-frequency technologies, as well as other emerging semiconductor applications.
GSME will operate a dedicated test floor equipped with Teradyne systems, providing customers with facilities for device evaluation, engineering development, pilot production, demonstrations and technical training.
The development adds a new international dimension to Oman’s investment in the semiconductor industry. ITHCA Group invested $8 million in GSME and acquired a 34.25 per cent stake in the US company, according to ITHCA’s annual report. The investment formed part of Oman’s efforts to develop domestic semiconductor design and engineering capabilities.
GSME has since expanded its operations in Oman, opening a semiconductor design centre in Muscat and designing the Oman-1 and Oman-2 chips using Omani talent.
The latest partnership takes the company further into another critical segment of the semiconductor value chain — testing and validation before chips move towards commercial production. That segment is becoming increasingly important as the rapid expansion of AI and data-centre infrastructure drives demand for more complex processors and semiconductor technologies.
Teradyne is a major US supplier of automated semiconductor test equipment. Its semiconductor and electronics testing technologies extend across the AI device supply chain, from wafer testing to systems used in data centres.
As part of the partnership, GSME said it is also expanding its test engineering teams across the United States, Taiwan, Europe and the Gulf Cooperation Council region.
The two companies will additionally collaborate on customer engagements, technical workshops and the development of testing programmes aimed at accelerating the transition of new semiconductor devices from development to production.
The new centre will be located in Silicon Valley rather than Oman. Its significance for the Sultanate stems from ITHCA’s 34.25 per cent ownership of GSME and the company’s existing semiconductor design operations in Muscat.
GSME is headquartered in San Jose, California, with a global presence spanning the United States, Taiwan, Vietnam and Oman.
The investment illustrates one route through which Oman is building exposure to the global semiconductor industry: developing engineering and design capabilities domestically while investing in companies operating across international semiconductor markets.
The Teradyne partnership now extends that exposure into advanced chip testing as investment in AI infrastructure continues to increase demand for sophisticated semiconductor technologies.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
