The inauguration ceremony of Osram’s Kulim Plant ended yesterday on a high note. Apart from Osram’s executive board, Mustapa bin Mohamed, Malaysian Minister of International Trade and Industry also attended the ceremony, representing the determination of Malaysia to recruit high-tech enterprises. 

Osram's executive board and Mustapa bin Mohamed, Malaysian Minister of International Trade and Industry (Image: Osram/ LEDinside)

Reaching towards the completion of the Phase I construction, Osram shelled out EUR 370 million and recruited 1,500 employees. The company will continue another two construction plans that eventually bring 6,000 employees to the factory and make the total investment EUR 1 billion.

(Image: Osram/ LEDinside)

Olaf Berlien, Chairman-Mgmt Board/CEO of Osram, revealed during a short talk with LEDinside that the new Kulim plant embodies the promise and ambition to advance and scale up. To grow along with the market, capacity expansion is on the company’s must-do list.

(Images: Osram/ LEDinside)

The Kulim plant takes an area of 100,000 square meters, equivalent to 10 football pitches. It is built to support the Penang plant with limited space. A chance comes with a risk, but one does not need 100% certainty to move. Facing a market that could change radically anytime, Osram, even if only with 70% certainty, still decided to build this massive modern plant. It also conveys Osram’s message to transform into a high-tech company.

(Images: Osram/ LEDinside)

Aldo Kamper, CEO of Osram Opto Semiconductors, stressed the tremendous capacity of the Kulim plant. It is expected to produce 20,000 6-inch LED wafers on a weekly basis after the Phase I construction.

(Images: Osram/ LEDinside)

In addition, the new plant will be adopting the most advanced manufacturing technology. The 6-inch manufacturing technology in each cycle time (CT) can produce LED chips 125% more than the chip number by the 4-inch process.