Elite Material Co Ltd (EMC), based in Taiwan, is making a RM900 million investment in the Penang Science Park North facility. According to Albert Dong, chairman and chief executive officer of EMC, construction has begun on 5.6 hectares (13.84 acres) in Penang Science Park North. The first phase is expected to be finished in the first half of 2025, and there will be two phases.

"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.

According to him, the facility will provide EMC with additional growth momentum by serving customers both locally and globally. From phase one, it will be able to handle 600,000 sheets per month, with an additional 150,000 sheets from phase two. At a maximum capacity of 750,000 copper-clad laminate sheets, the facility is anticipated to generate RM150 million in monthly revenue. Large scale manufacturing will start in the second quarter of 2025. Dong said EMC is the main copper-clad overlay creator utilizing its own innovation, beside 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.