Malaysia rises as crucial link in chip supply chain

Employees work inside a clean room at a facility operated by Osram, one of the world’s largest lighting companies, in Penang, Malaysia on Feb 22, 2024. Malaysia is already the world’s sixth largest exporter of semiconductors, and packages 23% of all American chips. — Photos: The New York Times

PENANG, Malaysia: Construction cranes still surround the brand-spanking-new plant in Kulim’s industrial park in Malaysia. But inside, legions of workers hired by Austrian tech giant AT&S are already gearing up to produce at full capacity by year’s end.

Outfitted in head-to-toe coveralls, with oversized safety glasses and hard hats, they’re reminiscent of the worker bees in the movie Minions, but colour coded by function: Blue for maintenance. Green for vendors. Pink for janitors. White for operators.