KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 7 (Bernama) -- Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU), today announced an investment of RM1 million to strengthen collaboration, research and development (R&D) projects with local universities over the next five years. Funding will go towards grants supporting research in the areas of semiconductor materials, smart manufacturing and artificial intelligence which are key to the advancement of tech manufacturing in the country.

“Like all fellow Penangites, my colleagues and I are immensely proud of Penang’s achievements in the electronic and electrical industry. Yet to go further, we need partners who share our vision for Penang, and Micron is one of them,” said Yang Amat Berhormat Tuan Chow Kon Yeow, Chief Minister of Penang. “The RM1 million grant funding to local universities by Micron today further reinforces the company’s commitment to using its leadership, influence and resources to create positive change, on top of its relentless efforts in employee wellbeing, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility.”

“We are encouraged by Micron’s efforts and contribution to build a resilient semiconductor ecosystem that supports Malaysia’s competitiveness as the destination of choice for future investments,” said YBhg. Dato’ Arham Abdul Rahman, Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA). “For the past 50 years, MIDA has strived to position Malaysia as an international manufacturing hub whose holistic electrical and electronics ecosystem enables front-end and back-end semiconductor production, and this would not have materialised without the active contribution of the corporate sector. Besides advancing business growth, their involvement in universities’ academic curriculum development has been catalytic in grooming aspiring young technology innovators and leaders who are fundamental to this industry’s success. This partnership between Micron and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) is set to create new growth opportunities and we welcome such collaborations to transpire between other various institutors and companies.”

“Malaysia is critical to our global manufacturing footprint, and we hope the funding and knowledge transfer to local universities will strengthen the local semiconductor ecosystem, advance R&D and deepen science, technology and engineering skills in the local talent pool,” said Amarjit Singh Sandhu, Corporate Vice President and Country Manager of Micron Malaysia. “We aim to use our presence and influence to contribute to Malaysia’s economy, including generating quality jobs and increasing the country’s productivity, efficiency, and global competitiveness.”

USM is the first university partner to receive funding from Micron. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Micron and USM was signed during an official (virtual) ceremony by Amarjit Singh Sandhu, Corporate Vice President and Country Manager of Micron Malaysia and YBhg. Professor Dato’ Dr. Faisal Rafiq Bin Mahamd Adikan, Vice Chancellor of USM.

Witnessing the funding announcement and MOU signing ceremony were Yang Amat Berhormat Tuan Chow Kon Yeow, Chief Minister of Penang, and YBhg. Dato’ Arham Abdul Rahman, CEO of MIDA. Also in attendance were YBhg Professor Dato’ Ir. Dr. Abdul Rahman Bin Mohamed, Deputy Vice Chancellor of USM, YBhg. Dato’ Seri Lee Kah Choon, Special Investment Advisor to Chief Minister of Penang, and YBhg. Dato' Loo Lee Lian, CEO of InvestPenang.

“I wish to thank Micron for giving USM the opportunity to be the first university partner to receive funding and hope that it will spur research and strengthen the collaborations between both organisations,” said YBhg. Professor Dato’ Dr. Faisal Rafiq Bin Mahamd Adikan, Vice Chancellor of USM. “The partnership between Micron and USM is in line with the focus area of the National Fourth Industrial Revolution’s policy, and supported by national policies such as the 12th Malaysia Plan and Wawasan Kemakmuran Bersama 2030.”

About MIDA
MIDA is the government’s principal investment promotion and development agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) to oversee and drive investments into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, MIDA has 12 regional and 20 overseas offices. MIDA continues to be the strategic partner to businesses in seizing the opportunities arising from the technology revolution of this era. For more information, please visit www.mida.gov.my and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube channel.

About Micron Technology, Inc.
We are an industry leader in innovative memory and storage solutions transforming how the world uses information to enrich life for all. With a relentless focus on our customers, technology leadership, and manufacturing and operational excellence, Micron delivers a rich portfolio of high-performance DRAM, NAND and NOR memory and storage products through our Micron® and Crucial® brands. Every day, the innovations that our people create fuel the data economy, enabling advances in artificial intelligence and 5G applications that unleash opportunities — from the data center to the intelligent edge and across the client and mobile user experience. To learn more about Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU), visit micron.com.

© 2022 Micron Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Information, products, and/or specifications are subject to change without notice. Micron, the Micron logo, and all other Micron trademarks are the property of Micron Technology, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

The associated material for the event can be found at
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/5b3o2bshzkwsj88/AAAaRYdcDeYB1ih4zUUkdxXba?dl=0


SOURCE: Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA)

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: 
MIDA Industry Talent Management
and Expatriate Division
Name: Aizah Abdullah
Director
Tel: +603-2267 3529
Email: aizaha@mida.gov.my

Micron Media Relations Contact
Name: Erica Pompen
Micron Technology, Inc.
Tel: +1 (408) 834-1873
Email: epompen@micron.com

Micron Investor Relations Contact
Name: Farhan Ahmad
Micron Technology, Inc.
Tel: +1 (408) 834-1927
Email: farhanahmad@micron.com

--BERNAMA