Global supplier of technology and services Bosch has opened an advanced semiconductor backend site in Penang, Malaysia for the testing of its automotive chips and sensors. The new facility cost an estimated EUR 65 million and supplements its existing semiconductor testing facilities in Germany, China, Hungary and Malaysia.
The company plans to invest around EUR 350 million in the site by the mid-2030s, and generate around 400 jobs. The facility currently spans 18,000 sqm, including clean rooms, office space, and laboratories for quality assurance and manufacturing. The total land area comprises around 100,000 sqm.
„The Penang backend site is a key component in our growth strategy in the mobility sector as we respond to the increased demand for semiconductors,“ said Klaus Maeder, Member of the Bosch Mobility Sector Board Responsible for Operations. „We chose to invest in Penang for its high level of semiconductor knowledge and skilled workforce. The proximity to business partners and customers is another advantage, as it will shorten delivery times and distances for the chips.“
“With our new semiconductor test center in Penang, we are creating additional capacity within our worldwide manufacturing network to meet the continued high demand for chips and sensors,” said Dr. Stefan Hartung, chairman of the Bosch board of management. “Semiconductors are a decisive success factor for all Bosch business areas, and the expansion of this business is strategically very important.”
„With a total of 4,200 associates and nearly RM400 million (86.2 million EUR) investments in Malaysia, as of December 31, 2022, Penang is home to the largest number of manufacturing facilities in a single country for Bosch in Southeast Asia,“ the company said in a press release. „With the addition of an advanced backend site in Southeast Asia, the company is completing its internal process chain especially for the semiconductors manufactured in Dresden, Germany.“
