Many companies are applying Fourth Industrial Revolution initiatives in manufacturing, though only a few have managed to successfully integrate the smart manufacturing technologies at a scale that allows them to realise significant economic and financial benefits.
Known as lighthouse companies, these organisations have taken their smart manufacturing journeys from pilot to integration at scale, serving as beacons to others in overcoming challenges in their production systems through the adoption of leading-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, additive manufacturing and advanced analytics.
At the recent SEMI Southeast Asia webinar Journey to Recovery of the E&E Industry, Dato' Azman Mahmud, Chief Executive Officer of Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), spoke about building Malaysia’s very own Lighthouse Project comprising multinational corporations that will act as anchors to help guide local players into this new venture.
During the webinar, Dato' Azman elaborated about Malaysia’s competitive edge – its diversified economic structure and government support. He said the key to sustaining this competitive edge, however, is that the Malaysian economy must be digitally empowered. The Lighthouse Project is one programme that will help achieve this objective.
We are inspired and encouraged by this initiative. As firm believers in connecting and collaborating, SEMI Southeast Asia supports programmes that advance the entire microelectronics ecosystem. We look forward to seeing MIDA drive this project, and we encourage Malaysian E&E companies to tap MIDA’s expertise in this field.
Ultimately, we are confident that through this initiative and the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies, Malaysia will be repositioned as a top global manufacturing nation.
Bee Bee Ng is president of SEMI Southeast Asia.