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Light-emitting diode (LED) chip company Osram Opto Semiconductors (M) Sdn Bhd is looking to embark on advanced lighting technology in Malaysia, particularly for automotive applications as it sees huge growth potential in the market.
“There is more and more of real high-end (lighting) applications needed (in Malaysia) such as pixel headlights in cars for instance and we see that as a huge opportunity for us,” its CEO Dr Ronald Mueller said at the handover ceremony of equipment worth RM2.4 million by Osram to four public universities today.
Additionally, Mueller said the German-based company is also bullish in the application of micro-pixelated LED for display devices, which he believes will revolutionise the quality of visualisation and improve the illumination quality.
“We are very confident in micro-pixelized displays, where in five years you might have a 10 sq m of a highly dense pixelized LED displays that is totally different compared with what we have today.
“These are the areas that we think as hugely interesting and will grow. It’s just a question of when it will takes off. It maybe will take a couple of years but we will go into that direction ,” he added.
Primarily focused on semiconductor-based technologies, Osram’s products are used in highly diverse applications ranging from virtual reality to autonomous driving and from smartphones to smart and connected lighting solutions in buildings and cities.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) deputy CEO Arham Abdul Rahman, who officiated the handover ceremony, said as of May this year, Osram’s accumulated investment in the country amounted to RM4.6 billion, with a local spending of RM500 million, supporting close to 600 local vendors.
“Today’s event is an example of a foreign investment that has contributed much to Malaysia. Mida would like to encourage other global companies to emulate these practices and bring the electrical and electronic industry to the next level of technology sophistication and competitiveness,” Arham said.
Osram’s donation of the latest semiconductor and photonic equipment involved Universiti Malaya, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Malaysia Perlis and National University of Malaysia.
The equipment will be used to provide hands-on educational experience for high-tech industry’s students.
“By donating our manufacturing equipment for use in universities, we are helping to train the next generation of engineers,” Mueller added.
