Micron Technology invests RM1 Million for semiconductor research at Malaysian universities

• Micron Technology invests RM1 million strengthen semiconductor ecosystem in Malaysia.
• USM Malaysia will be the first university partner to receive funding from Micron.
• Micron’s new manufacturing plant is scheduled to open by end of 2022

The semiconductor shortage continues to be a concern for most organizations around the world. While investments in new plants have been made to help increase supply, there is still a concern that there might not be sufficient skilled employees in the field.

In fact, the demand for skillsets in semiconductor and its related industries have been increasing, especially with new factories being developed. Despite technology enables most of these plants to be automated, the reality is, semiconductor companies need a physical workforce in areas of research and development and such.

For example, in the US alone, the semiconductor industry will need to hire between 70,000 and 90,000 additional workers by 2025.  Reports also show that countries like Taiwan, which is currently the global powerhouse of integrated circuit manufacturing, has an average monthly deficit of specialized workers of approximately 27,700 employees.

As such, semiconductor companies have been investing and partnering with universities and learning institutes to develop new talents. In Malaysia, Micron Technology has announced an investment of RM1 million to strengthen collaboration, research and development projects with local universities over the next five years. The funding will go towards grants supporting research in the areas of semiconductor materials, smart manufacturing and artificial intelligence which are key to the advancement of tech manufacturing in the country.

“Micron leads the industry in both NAND and DRAM technology and Malaysia is critical to our global manufacturing footprint. We hope the funding and collaboration with local universities will strengthen the local semiconductor ecosystem, advance R&D and deepen science, technology and engineering skills in the local talent pool,” said Amarjit Singh Sandhu, corporate vice president and country manager of Micron Malaysia.

University Sains Malaysia (USM) will be the first university partner to receive funding from Micron. The partnership is set to create new growth opportunities between various institutors and companies. Further to that, the partnership between Micron and USM is also in line with the focus area of the National Fourth Industrial Revolution’s policy,and supported by national policies such as the 12th Malaysia Plan and Wawasan Kemakmuran Bersama 2030.

Amarjit also pointed out that Micron foresees opportunities to accelerate the next level of growth, given the increasing global market demand for memory and storage products. Hence, Micron has already invested in a 52.6-acre Center of Excellence for solid state drives assembly in Batu Kawan Industrial Park, Penang which is scheduled to begin operations by the end of 2022.

“The RM1 million grant funding to local universities by Micron today further reinforces the company’s commitment to using its leadership, influence and resources to create positive change, on top of its relentless efforts in employee wellbeing, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility,” said Chow Kon Yeow, chief minister of Penang, who witnesses the signing ceremony.

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