The MoU will see all the parties collaborating to uplift Malaysia’s talent competence, especially in high-end printed circuit boards (PCB) and IC substrates.
International trade and industry minister Azmin Ali said he was glad AT&S had chosen Malaysia to spearhead the project.
AT&S has begun construction on its new integrated circuit (IC) substrate’s manufacturing facility at the Kulim Hi-Technology Park, Kedah.
Marking its first production plant in Southeast Asia, the facility will focus on developing Malaysia’s semiconductor ecosystem while opening opportunities for local vendors in advanced electronics through industry and training partnerships.
The electrical and electronics industry has been a large contributor to the nation’s economy while the manufacturing sector is rapidly evolving, as companies shift focus to high-tech, knowledge-intensive and higher-value activities.
“This is by far the largest in the history of AT&S with a total investment of RM8.13 billion, which is expected to create high-skilled job opportunities for over 6,000 Malaysians.
“This investment is timely because the market environment is bullish with the dynamics of global demand,” Azmin said in a statement.
Mida CEO Arham Abdul Rahman said the country’s strategic position within Asean, alongside the robust pool of talent and established local supply chains, is well-integrated into the global value chain.
“This is a pull factor for investors such as AT&S to choose Malaysia as their springboard into the region. Being the country’s principal investment promotion agency under the ministry, Mida looks forward to working closely with AT&S to support the growth of their operations here in Malaysia,” he said.
Despite the global pandemic, Mida has been working closely with AT&S to materialise the collaboration, he added.
“The One-Stop Centre for Business Travellers, managed by Mida, enables investors to travel to Malaysia with strict SOPs in place and make business decisions, which also helped AT&S to set up its manufacturing plant in Kulim, Kedah,” he added.
Meanwhile, AT&S CEO Andreas Gerstenmayer said this was a milestone for the group. With the new state-of-the-art factory for IC substrates, the group will be able to establish a completely new technology sector in Malaysia — one of the future global microelectronics hotspots.
“We will not only manufacture high-end IC substrates for high-performance processors at our new facility, but also conduct R&D activities at this location.
“This creates a win-win situation for both, AT&S as well as the Malaysian society. Investing in R&D is an investment in the future of a country,” he said.