THE state government is delighted to see that Bruker, a US-headquartered multinational company and one of the world’s leading analytical instrumentation companies, has established its first Asia-based manufacturing facility in Penang.
Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Ahmad Zakiyuddin Abdul Rahman said he was happy to note that the 25,000sq ft Bruker plant was set up in October last year to design, assemble, test and ship its products to its global customers.
He said reinvestments from US companies are evidence of Penang’s strong competitive edge in meeting investors’ stringent requirements in the areas of talent, supply chain, infrastructure and government support.
“It is not uncommon to see the US companies that have been here for two to four decades continuously grow and expand their operations here,” Ahmad Zakiyuddin said his speech at the official opening of Bruker’s new plant at the Bayan Lepas Free Trade Industrial Zone on Sept 24. He was representing Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who was then overseas on official matters.
“With relentless effort from the state government through investPenang, Penang has been a destination of choice for investment for many MNCs.
“Zooming into the first half of 2019, US companies contributed 73% of the state’s total FDI and a bulk of it is from reinvestments from our existing US companies in Penang.”
Ahmad Zakiyuddin added that numerous MNCs, which began with only manufacturing operation in Penang, have since diversified their business activities to include research and development, design and development and global business services.
He said Penang has over 45 years of industrial experience and is home to a highly-skilled workforce with significant cumulative industrial intelligence.
“Through investPenang, the state government will continue to focus on attracting high-quality investments that emphasise these areas as well as those that stress on smart manufacturing activities that encompass IoT and Industry 4.0,” said Ahmad Zakiyuddin.
Also present at the opening ceremony were Datuk Seri Lee Kah Choon, the special investment adviser to Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and director of invest Penang, Malaysian Investment Development Authority executive director Jasbir Kaur, investPenang chief executive officer Datuk Loo Lee Lian, Bruker Corporation chairman, president and chief executive director Dr Frank H. Laukien, Bruker Nano Group president Dr Mark Munch, Bruker Nano Group executive vice-president Dr Mark McMaster and Bruker Penang site director S. Soundarajan.
The Bruker Penang facility hires about 70 employees, most of whom are highly skilled. Bruker is a leading provider of scientific instruments.
Since late last year, Bruker Penang has sent 15 engineers for high-skilled training in Germany and the United States for three months.
The high-tech products manufactured at this facility include optical and stylus profilometers, tribometers, X-ray diffraction tools, X-ray fluorescence instrumentation, optical emissions spectrometers, and combustion gas analysers.
Today, more than 6,000 employees are working to build upon Bruker’s extensive range of products and solutions, at over 90 locations worldwide.
For more than 55 years now, Bruker has been enabling scientists and manufacturers to make breakthrough discoveries and develop new applications and products that improve the quality of human life.