Bosch set to expand in Malaysia with new plant in Penang

The company is reportedly planning to build a manufacturing facility at the industrial park which will focus on semiconductor components and sensor testing, according to a press release from MIDA (the Malaysian Investment Development Authority). Construction of the plant is scheduled to begin in 2021 and completion of the production area and first series production to commence in 2023. Some 400 new jobs are expected to be created with the establishing of the new facility. According to the press release, the to be facility will primarily focus on the final testing of components manufactured at Bosch Automotive Electronics’ fab in Dresden, Germany. These components comprise semiconductors used in airbag systems or engine control units, to name a few. The plant will also house R&D and training facilities. “With the long-term forecasts for growth of semiconductor component quantities, coupled with the front-end production in Bosch’s Dresden facility in Germany, capacity expansion is required for the back-end production, which is the final testing phase of semiconductors and sensors. This new site is also intended to strengthen the matured eco-system for the semiconductor industry here in Penang,” says Simon Song, managing director of Bosch Malaysia, in the MIDA report.