A new task force hopes to restore Malaysia’s status as the Silicon Valley of the East and improve the value it adds to the semiconductor industry. Challenges such as a labour shortage and young people being discouraged from STEM education exist, but domestic and international countermeasures are in place.
The US and China are in a similar quandary when it comes to securing enough skilled labour to meet their technological goals. Both could benefit from promoting vocational education and removing the stigma that comes from pursuing it instead of higher education.
Major steelmakers are adopting green hydrogen, setting up expensive experiments and pilot facilities. But to scale up its production and use, government support will be crucial.