This week, economy minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir announced that the federal government will allocate RM12.3 mln over four years for a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) talent development programme in Penang, with the aim of reaching 100,000 students by 2030. The programme is designed to expose students to STEM from an early age, helping to nurture interest and build the skills required for the industries of the future. Penang was chosen as the pilot location because its well-established industrial ecosystem provides an ideal environment to test and refine a model that could subsequently be replicated across the country. 

This is precisely the kind of long-term investment in human capital that Malaysia needs to support the National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS). Malaysia needs to build a deep and sustainable pool of engineers, scientists, technicians and other highly skilled workers capable of supporting the industry's continued upgrading.

The Penang pilot is therefore more than just a STEM education programme. It is an investment in the human capital required for Malaysia's next phase of industrialisation. More programmes of this nature, sustained over many years and expanded nationwide, will be essential if Malaysia is to move up the semiconductor value chain and realise the ambitions of the NSS.