AHEAD of SEMICON Southeast Asia 2022 in June, SEMI Southeast Asia and Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association (MSIA) recently organised a webinar session to help local semiconductor industry small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on how to boost competitiveness at the global stage and future-proof their businesses.
In her welcoming speech, SEMI Southeast Asia's president, Linda Tan, said that approximately seven per cent of the total global semiconductor trade flows through Malaysia, making us a key player in the global semiconductor trade.
"In addition to that, we are a major part of the global electronics supply chain with 39 per cent of Malaysia's total export in 2020 is electrical and electronic products (E&E) exports," she said.
"SMEs represent a key pillar in this space and their growth is imperative to the success of the nation and the broader Southeast Asia region. SEMI Southeast Asia recognises the importance of SMEs in the E&E industry, and is committed to supporting these businesses to ensure that the region's semiconductor ecosystem remains strong and resilient," added Tan.
Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC)'s director-general, Datuk Abdul Latif Abu Seman, in his opening remarks also agrees that SMEs have been at the core of Malaysia's economic transformation and that they are the backbone of Malaysia's economy, representing 97 per cent of overall business establishment in the country in 2021.
"Given the significant presence of SMEs in the economy, transforming productivity and competitiveness performance of SMEs is necessary for the remarkable improvement in national productivity," he said.
However, the pandemic has created a tough climate for SMEs, as businesses struggled to weather the economic fallout, operational challenges, as well as flagging sales, supply chain disruptions, and workers issues.
"As such, the government will prioritise incorporating advanced technologies among SMEs under the 12 th Malaysia Plan, serving as a powerful game-changer for the economy and enabling SMEs to transform, compete and penetrate the global market. SMEs will be equipped with the skills to digitise their business process with automation, big data and AI, in line with the National Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) Policy and the Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint," said Abdul Latif.
The industry leaders present at the webinar are Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) director of Electrical & Electronics, ICT, Machinery and Equipment section, Naim Abdul Rahman; STMicroelectronics Malaysia's group vice president and general manager, and SEMI SEA regional advisory board member, Tan Chun Sheng; Nexperia Malaysia's vice president and general manager, and SEMI SEA regional advisory board member, Harith Abdullah; and Dominant Opto Technologies Malaysia's group managing director and CEO, Tay Kheng Chiong.
The two-hour webinar sees the industry leaders share their vision and company's insights on the matter. During an engaging panel discussion, moderated by Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association president, Datuk Seri Wong Siew Hai, they discussed further on semiconductor and microelectronics industry SMEs' roles and its capabilities to grow and become the backbone of a country's economy as well as contribute to income, output and employment in the global economy.
"MSIA has been actively navigating through the past two years while taking extraordinary steps to safeguard SMEs in the E&E industry. This webinar is an example of the many initiatives we are undertaking to support the industry, more so given the importance of the interconnectivity of our ecosystem. It educated participants on how to scale-up internationally and remain competitive in the global market," said Wong.
The webinar is the first collaboration SEMI Southeast Asia embarked with MSIA and the partnership will continue at the upcoming SEMICON Southeast Asia 2022. The exhibition and conferences will be held at the Setia Spice Convention Centre and Arena, Penang from June 21 to 23, 2022.