Elite Material Co Ltd invests RM900mil in Penang manufacturing facility

GEORGE TOWN: Taiwan-based copper-clad laminate manufacturer Elite Material Co Ltd (EMC) is investing RM900 million to set up Penang Science Park North facility.

EMC chairman and chief executive officer Albert Dong said it started construction on 5.6 hectares (13.84 acres) in Penang Science Park North. There will be two phases with the first expected to be completed in the first half of 2025.

"This is our first facility in Southeast Asia. We chose Penang because it is a regional semiconductor hub with the largest semiconductor industry cluster comprising global companies in Southeast Asia,” he said in a press conference with Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.

He said the facility will serve local and global customers, providing EMC with additional growth momentum.

It will have a monthly capacity of 600,000 sheets from phase one and an additional 150,000 sheets from phase two. The facility is expected to generate monthly revenue of RM150 million at a maximum production of 750,000 copper-clad laminate sheets.

Mass production will begin in the second quarter of 2025.

Dong said EMC is the only copper-clad laminate maker using its own technology, aside from those in South Korea and Japan.

"We are thrilled to be number three worldwide in our industry in 2023, having moved up from number four. But we are even more excited to embark on this new chapter in Southeast Asia with the establishment of our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Penang.

"This strategic investment reflects our commitment to our customers' needs. We are confident that our presence in Malaysia will bolster the semiconductor industry and the local printed circuit board industry since we are also an (integrated circuit) substrate material manufacturer," he said.

Meanwhile, Chow said EMC’s investment in Penang solidifies the state’s position as a high-impact economic hub nationally and regionally.

"This is a milestone in Penang’s industry transformation journey and evidence of how major strategic investments translate into technology and economic spillovers,” he said.

EMC, which boasts an annual revenue of US$1.6 billion, entered the integrated circuit substrate market in 2020. It expects its substrate capacity in Penang to be ready as early as 2026.

EMC has six manufacturing sites in four countries with over 4,500 employees worldwide. - Bernama