PHOTO CREDIT: AT&S Worldwide

According to the Ministry of International Trade & Industry (MITI), Austria-based global manufacturing company AT & S is to build a RM 8.5 billion plant at Kulim Hi-Tech Park in the north Malaysian state of Kedah.

This is AT & S’s first production plant in South-east Asia. As an international enterprise, the company already has production facilities in Austria, India, China and South Korea.

MITI issued a statement saying the company’s main product of high-end printed circuit boards (PCB) and integrated circuit (IC) substrates will create 5,000 high-tech and high input jobs.

AT & S’ high end PCB and IC substrates are used in mobile devices, industrial electronics, automotive applications as well as in medical and health technology.

Explaining why the company chose Malaysia, CEO of AT & S Andreas Gerstenmaye stated that after very intensive location scouting globally the country emerged in the company’s bid to push ahead with their ‘More than AT & S’ strategy.

He further stated that AT & S brings the latest generation of high-end technology to Malaysia to build up a whole new technology sector.

Besides manufacturing of high-tech products, a significant amount of R&D activities will be executed at the Kulim High-Tech Park and the country can benefit in its position as a technology-country and can strengthen the region as a high-tech manufacturing hub in Asia.

It is envisaged that construction of the Kulim facility is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2021 while commercial operations are targeted to come onstream in 2024.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE