Malaysia has set its sights on becoming a major player in the semiconductor industry as it capitalizes on the burgeoning electric vehicle (EV) market. With EVs heavily relying on semiconductors, the Southeast Asian nation aims to position itself as a key supplier in this rapidly growing sector.
To achieve this, Malaysia’s Trade and Industry Minister, Zafrul Aziz, emphasizes the critical role of semiconductors in EV manufacturing. While a conventional automobile requires around 5,000 chips, an EV can require up to 15,000. By securing its position as a crucial component supplier to EV manufacturers, Malaysia aims to realign and secure supply chains closer to the country, offering strategic advantages.
Malaysia has already caught the attention of major EV player Tesla, who maintains strong ties with Malaysian suppliers and provides charging stations in the country. However, Malaysia’s ultimate goal is to attract EV manufacturers to establish their giga factories and assembly operations within its borders, boosting its semiconductor industry further.
To drive this ambition, Malaysia has formed a national semiconductor taskforce, focusing on the critical front-end manufacturing processes like wafer fabrication and circuit engraving. This initiative aims to grow Malaysia’s semiconductor ecosystem and attract strategic investments. The electrical and electronics (E&E) sector, including the semiconductor industry, already accounts for 7% of Malaysia’s GDP and half of its exports.
Moreover, Malaysia has been forging partnerships with Chinese semiconductor design companies to assemble high-end chips, particularly GPUs, in response to US sanctions on China’s chip industry. The country also aspires to increase its share in the global semiconductor packaging, assembly, and testing market to 15% by 2030.
With its incentives and established infrastructure for chip manufacturing services, Malaysia’s strategic positioning within the global semiconductor and EV landscapes has grabbed the attention of other nations. This could have ripple effects across various tech-based sectors, solidifying Malaysia’s role as a leader in the EV revolution.
The source of the article is from the blog reporterosdelsur.com.mx