Site Map |
Overview |
R&D Expenditure |
R&D Output |
Human Resources |
S&T Policies |
S&T Organizations |
Emerging Technologies |
The most important category with regard to technology in Penang's industrial parks is the first grouping of electronics and electrical equipment and parts manufacturers. The list of manufacturers includes: Acer Technologies, Advanced Micro Devices, Alcatel Network Systems, Applied Magnetics, Canon Electronics, Conner Peripherals, Fujikura Federal Cables, Hewlett Packard, Intel, Iomega, Komag, Molex, Motorola, Northern Telecom, Seagate, Quantum, Read Rite, Siemens Semiconductor, Sony Mechatronic Products, and Syquest Technology.
Of all the industrial facilities in the Penang area, Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone is by far the most important, since the majority of large factories are located there. For instance, Seagate and National Semiconductor have large facilities at Bayan Lepas, each employing over 10,000 workers. At least half a dozen other companies, such as AMD, Bosch, and Intel, operate factories employing between four and six thousand workers.
Production in Penang is rarely of the same type as production in developed countries, however. Although Penang's factories are participating in global high tech industries, they are mostly involved in fairly low technological levels of those industries. In the semiconductor industry, for example, essentially all of the plants in the Penang area are involved in packaging of semiconductors while the semiconductor "dies" are still produced in developed countries and then sent to Penang.
KULIM HIGH TECHNOLOGY PARK (KHTP) is being developed as a fully integrated hi-tech park, meaning that facilities for all aspects of the lives of the workers at the park are being planned. KHTP is divided into three main areas: industrial zones, R&D facilities and a new township to house the workers at KHTP, which includes shopping, medical, educational and recreational facilities.
The R&D and technology infrastructure in Penang can be broken down into three areas (1) Penang Industrial Zones, (2) skill upgrading and education facilities, (3) R&D facilities.