Made in Malaysia Integrated Circuits, how far can we go?

Abstract

Manufacturing contributes more than 80% of Malaysia's exports in 2016, with Integrated Circuits (IC) making-up a major portion of this. According to recent SEMI projections, semiconductors continue to grow by 17% in 2017, across various technology nodes. SilTerra, a home-grown semiconductor foundry, is a relatively small player, by global standards. However, it is a significant contributor to value-added semiconductor exports for Malaysia. So, moving forward, can smaller foundries like SilTerra sustain and be competitive to remain significant? This topic will be discussed and some proposals will be shared on how various parties can work together to ensure the industry is sustainable. Sustainability is a key factor to succeed in this highly competitive industry. This effort involves every stakeholder within the ecosystem. If this collaboration is not done in a timely fashion, the semiconductor industry in Malaysia will likely fall behind other countries that are proactively positioning themselves as more productive and efficient.