GlobalFoundries opens new Malaysia office to support global ops
26 Sep 2023
GlobalFoundries (GF), one of the world’s three largest semiconductor foundry companies, has today opened its first-of-its-kind RM4.7 million factory control tower hub in Penang.
The new facility will create 300 high-value manufacturing support roles, including technicians, engineers, administrative and support functions.
GF will also fork out RM28.1 million (US6 million) to RM32.8 million (US7 million) investment for training in the next three years.
The new Penang operation will ensure that all of GF’s global manufacturing sites in Singapore, the United States and Europe have fundamental round-the-clock support.
This will enable the company to maintain supply chain resiliency and sustainability for global operations, as GF continue to deliver on commitments to meet the market demand for GF chips.
The GF Malaysia office is part of a strategic hub network that leverages the company’s global footprint and complements GF’s global fab operations by providing engineering resources to supplement operations on a real-time basis.
This site will utilise the latest digital manufacturing technologies such as remote access, Industry 4.0 solutions and GF’s state-of-the-art Factory Control Tower.
GF chief manufacturing officer KC Ang said the Malaysia operations would leverage the strengths of its existing global manufacturing footprint and harmonise operations across all sites, offering customers truly world-class global operations.
“Penang is a vibrant location at the forefront of semiconductor manufacturing innovation. The forward-thinking policies of the government have built a strong ecosystem and attracted a large base of highly skilled talent in our industry that will enable us to diversify our talent pool,” he said at the opening of GF Malaysia office in Bayan Baru here today.
Ang said it chanced upon this way of operating the factories virtually during the Covid-19 pandemic and is now the pioneer in setting up remote hubs.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said he was pleased that GF had chosen Penang to be a key part of its global hub strategy to augment its global manufacturing footprint in Singapore, New York and Dresden, Germany.
“At a time when business and supply chain resiliency are key priorities, GF’s global manufacturing footprint sets the company ahead of the pack.”
The semiconductor industry has experienced immense growth over the last few decades.
Mega trends such as the electrification of cars, adoption of 5G, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT) and virtual reality have brought the semiconductor industry to the forefront.
This was further elevated during the Covid-19 pandemic which saw the spike in demand for consumer electronics and digital services.
It is poised to grow to a US$1 trillion industry by 2030.
Source: NST
