USM'S INOR DIRECTOR DISCUSSES MALAYSIA'S SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY BOOM WITH DEUTSCHE WELLE

PENANG, 4 July 2024 - The Director of the Institute of Nano Optoelectronics Research and Technology (INOR), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Associate Professor Ts. Dr. Mohd Zamir Pakhuruddin was recently interviewed by Deutsche Welle (DW), a media outlet from Germany.

The interview was conducted by DW's Asia Pacific Bureau Chief, Georg Matthes, who previously served as the EU Correspondent for Germany's global news broadcaster in Brussels.

The topic of discussion was the recent boom in the semiconductor industry in Malaysia, examined from an academic perspective.

Among the topics discussed was the emphasis on semiconductors as a key research area at USM.

Mohd Zamir introduced INOR as one of the Higher Institution Centres of Excellence (HICoE) at USM, highlighting its specialisation in III-Nitrides Epitaxy for Optoelectronics and Advanced Devices.

He also elaborated on Malaysia's New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030), launched by the Malaysian government in 2023, and the objectives outlined in the National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS).

"The challenges that Malaysia faces in moving up the semiconductor value chain include, from back-end manufacturing activities to integrated circuit (IC) design, epitaxy and wafer fabrication, equipment manufacturing, and advanced semiconductor packaging," he explained.

He further discussed the key factors for attracting high-value foreign direct investment (FDI) into Malaysia and the recent industry focus on wide bandgap semiconductors, particularly silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) technologies.

Mohd Zamir also addressed strategies to ensure a sustainable talent pipeline for the semiconductor industry.

In addition to Mohd Zamir's interview session, DW also interviewed representatives from Infineon and AT&S for the same project. The findings from these interviews will be published by Deutsche Welle (DW) as a short video and article in the near future.

Text: Nur Farrah Ezlin Mohd Suhaimi