“Penang plans to shift from its current dominance in assembly and testing activities towards high-value upstream activities such as chip design, system architecture and prototype development, in a bid to become a leading semiconductor design hub in ASEAN by 2040…”
“The state government will also be focusing on developing local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) into highly capable technology vendors within the semiconductor value chain through technological upgrading, automation, industry-standard certification and global compliance.”
” ‘The establishment of supply-chain integration mechanisms between multinational companies and local MSMEs is aimed at increasing local content, technology transfer and value-chain participation at the state economic level,’ according to the RSNPP 2040 draft, which is currently open for public inspection and feedback until Sept 9, 2026.”
“Besides semiconductors, Penang is also targeting the transformation of its medical-device industry towards innovation by strengthening the existing medical-device cluster and encouraging the production of high-technology products, advanced automation and engineering integration across the industry’s value chain.”
“In an effort to diversify the economy, the state government is also proposing to expand high-value services and the digital economy through the development of a Central Business District (CBD) for activities such as information technology, data and analytics, artificial intelligence, finance, digital engineering, and global business services (GBS) supporting regional and global operations.”