GEORGE TOWN: Homegrown semiconductor equipment solutions provider Mi Equipment is helping position Penang higher up the global semiconductor value chain as the state seeks to strengthen its industrial competitiveness and build a more resilient semiconductor ecosystem, said Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
Chow, who made an official visit to the company’s manufacturing plant in Bayan Lepas today, described Mi Equipment as a homegrown company that has become a respected semiconductor equipment solutions provider while remaining firmly rooted in the state.
“It is encouraging to see a local company achieving such remarkable growth while remaining firmly rooted in Penang. Equally commendable is your commitment to local talent development, with 99% of your workforce comprising Malaysians,“ he said in his speech.
Chow said Penang’s manufacturing success would not have been possible without the strong network of capable local companies supporting multinational corporations (MNC).
Mi Equipment was among the participating companies in the Penang Automated Test Equipment (ATE) Campus, launched by the state government through InvestPenang in April.
Chow said the initiative aims to build an integrated ATE ecosystem to accelerate co-development, qualification, and scaling of local ATE solutions towards enabling first-customer deployment of Malaysian ATE solutions through structured co-development.
At the campus launch, 11 memorandums of understanding were signed with MNC to facilitate pilot projects and localisation opportunities.
Chow said he looked forward to seeing these partnerships translate into tangible outcomes, with locally developed ATE solutions qualified, deployed and scaled across the semiconductor industry not only in Penang but globally.
He added that the state government remained “open to proactive collaborations” with federal agencies including Miti, Mida and Matrade in driving investment promotion, facilitating localisation and keeping Penang attractive to both global and domestic investors.
“Amid ongoing geopolitical and economic uncertainties, Penang remains committed to strengthening its industrial competitiveness.
“Moving forward, our industrial strategy is centred on three key priorities: continue attracting strategic investments and technologies that complement and strengthen Penang’s established ecosystem; enable local companies’ active participation in the global value chain; and developing AI-ready ecosystem and talent to drive innovation and competitiveness,“ Chow said.
Mi Technovation Bhd founder and group CEO Oh Kuang Eng said the chief minister’s visit would strengthen the three-way partnership between the state government, InvestPenang and industry in driving innovation, nurturing talent and reinforcing Penang’s position as a leading hub for advanced manufacturing and technology investment.
Founded in Bayan Lepas in 2007, Mi Equipment is part of Mi Technovation and provides semiconductor equipment solutions including AI-enabled die sorting and smart binning, wafer reconstruction, precision and laser bonding, test handling, AI vision inspection and smart factory platforms.
