Austria Technologie & amp; Systemtechnik Aktiengesellschaft (AT&S) is building a large factory in Malaysia for much-needed high-end printed circuit boards and IC substrates. Because the shortage in the global semiconductor industry is not only due to the large wafers and their exposure, but also to the smallest elements.
Strong industrial environment
AT & amp; S is one of the industry giants, alongside Austria, in India, China and South Korea. Malaysia makes sense, as many of their customers in the market segment can also be found in this region. Not far from the planned location there are production facilities from Intel, Dell, Osram, Sony, Broadcom, Toshiba, WD or even Bosch in the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone on the island of Penang.
In addition to the stable supply chain, the company's executive floor praises the entire ecosystem, which has been geared towards microelectronics over the past few decades. The semiconductor industry has been present in Malaysia for more than 30 years, and the overall environment is very well developed, explains COO Ingolf Schröder.
1.7 Billion euros investment amount
The investment volume of the new factory will amount to 1.7 billion euros. It should start in the second half of this year, and the first products will be mass-produced in 2024. By 2026, the production site in the Kulim Hi-Tech Park (KHTP) is expected to have a total size of around 200,000 m² and, if the currently planned production facilities with its 5,000 employees on site are fully utilized, could contribute around one billion euros to sales per year. At the same time, the company headquarters in Leoben-Hinterberg will be expanded, which will not only remain the hub and pivot, but will also gain in importance in the field of research and expanded production options. figure “>
Substrates are in short supply in the industry
The focus of the new factory is on additional capacities for IC substrates, more precisely ABF substrates for high-performance processors are to be manufactured. These are used in high-performance computers, data centers, gaming, 5G, automotive and AI, which is why companies like AMD, Intel and Nvidia quickly come to mind.
According to the ad hoc announcement, the investment project is based on the planned cooperation with two large semiconductor manufacturers who have been calling ABF substrates a critical and scarce resource for a long time AT&S also underpinned its forecasts for the coming years. However, AT & amp; S does not name the partners, but long-term contracts are to be concluded. Half of the financing of the project, which is the largest in history for AT & amp; S, will be provided by the two partners.
