Smart Energy, Talent Critical To Sustain Penang’s Semiconductor Growth - ABB

By Farhana Poniman

GEORGE TOWN, 6 Sept (Bernama) -- Reliable and sustainable power infrastructure, smart energy management and a skilled talent pool are critical to sustaining the growth of Penang’s semiconductor and electrical and electronics (E&E) sector amid the global artificial intelligence (AI) boom, ABB said.

ABB vice-president for Electrification Distribution Solutions (Medium Voltage) Adeline Soh said semiconductor manufacturing was among the world’s most energy-intensive industries, making power capacity, reliability and sustainability increasingly important as investment in the sector accelerates.

She said adopting smart electrification and energy management solutions could help semiconductor manufacturers improve energy efficiency and lower operating costs.

“As the demand for AI increases, companies have to use smarter solutions to become more efficient and reduce operating costs,” she told Bernama.

Soh said ABB already had several semiconductor customers in Malaysia, including in Penang, using its switchgear, uninterruptible power supply and other electrification solutions. The company also has a strong presence in the semiconductor industry across the Asia-Pacific region.

She said another critical challenge facing Malaysia’s semiconductor industry was a shortage of skilled talent, requiring closer collaboration among the government, industry and educational institutions.

“The most critical gap is skills and talent. We need to continue building more talent in Malaysia to support the growth of the semiconductor industry,” she said.

Soh said that through the ABB Jürgen Dormann Foundation for Engineering Education programme, ABB provides scholarships to deserving Universiti Malaya students, encouraging them to pursue engineering careers while helping build a strong pipeline of talent for the industry.

On ABB Innovation Day in Penang, scheduled for Sept 8, she said the event would showcase technologies designed to help semiconductor manufacturers improve power efficiency, lower operating costs and accelerate digitalisation, including predictive maintenance solutions.

She said predictive technologies could allow manufacturers to remotely monitor equipment and identify potential failures before they occur, reducing production disruptions.

Soh said ABB’s solutions were also accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises, with offerings tailored to customers’ scale, equipment and specific requirements.

She said Penang’s continued industrial growth would also require a stable electricity supply and smarter energy solutions from utilities and other relevant stakeholders to ensure reliable power for the semiconductor sector over the next decade.

Looking ahead, she said the biggest technological transformation in semiconductor manufacturing would be the convergence of AI, digitalisation and intelligent electrification.

She said future semiconductor facilities were expected to become increasingly autonomous, connected and predictive, with cloud-based systems enabling manufacturers to monitor equipment and infrastructure without relying solely on manpower for physical inspections.

“This will help improve efficiency, while allowing manufacturers to predict potential equipment failures. At the same time, the electrical infrastructure itself will become smarter and provide greater visibility to the industry,” she said.

-- BERNAMA