300 new jobs in Penang with Osram Opto’s new R&D centre

German lighting manufacturer, Osram Opto Semiconductor, opens its first global solid state lighting (SSL) headquarters and research and development (R&D) centre in Penang on Thursday (8 June), opening up 300 new jobs. These new job openings, created for the SSL headquarters, included 250 vacancies for engineers.

Osram Penang Operations managing director Dr Roland Mueller said the lighting industry is aiming for a double-digit growth, similar to the semiconductors industry. According to the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics Forecast Summary, the sale of semiconductors had increased by 10.4% over the year. “The lighting industry is seeing growth at pretty much the same percentage,” Mueller told Malay Mail Online at the launch of the new building in Bayan Lepas.

Additionally, the opening of this new centre also marks the second time since 2014 Osram has expanded its operations at Penang. “Our Penang operations have been successful because we have been able to blend the strengths of German engineering with Malaysian manufacturing,” Mueller said.

Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng who attended the launch said the plant's expansion adds to the steady flow of investments into Penang. “More jobs will be created via downstream opportunities created for local supply chain support and vendors,” he said.

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