The Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association (MSIA) has revealed that the country’s semiconductor exports are expected to reach a whopping RM1.2 trillion by 20203. Its president, Datuk Seri Wong Siew Hai said that the target solidifies Malaysia’s position as the world’s 6th largest exporter in the industry. 

Wong was quoted by Bernama as saying that the target represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 7.6 per cent from the current export value. He added that to achieve this growth, our country needs to focus on improving its capabilities across the semiconductor value chain, including advanced packaging, integrated circuit (IC) design and smart manufacturing. 

Furthermore, the government needs to collaborate with local industries to tackle existing challenges, especially talent shortage. Accordingly, more local talent must be retained through initiatives such as scholarships, cross-disciplinary training programmes and collaborations with universities.

MSIA projected that Malaysia needs 300,000 talents to achieve the target, with 60,000 of them being technical talents such as material scientists and chemists, as well as engineers. 

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