Since the invention of the transistor nearly 70 years ago, semiconductors have been the driving force behind technological advancements and transformative changes across industries worldwide. From personal computing and smartphones to data centres and cloud computing, semiconductor innovations have powered the development of critical applications across the global economy. Looking ahead, the semiconductor sector is poised for sustained growth, fuelled by megatrends such as electrification, digitisation, and the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. In its November 2024 report titled “State of the Semiconductor Industry”, PwC forecasts that global semiconductor revenues will grow at more than double the rate of global gross domestic product (GDP), surpassing US$1 trillion by 2030. Here’s a closer look at the key growth drivers and significant trends shaping this industry.

Raising the stakes towards a trillion-dollar chip industry

The 13 states in Malaysia have different levels of socioeconomic development. From the golden state of Selangor and the rice bowl state of Kedah, to the natural gas giant that is  Sarawak, these states have different developmental priorities. To fund their respective developments, the states collect revenues from the people and businesses that operate within their territories, based on what has been prescribed under the Federal Constitution.

Malaysian states’ financial positions

According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, technological change, geoeconomic fragmentation, economic uncertainty, demographic shifts and the green transition – individually and in combination – are among the major drivers expected to shape and transform the global labour market by 2030.

How secure is your job? Macrotrends shaping global labour market  

Artificial intelligence (AI) will serve as a catalyst for a “skills revolution”, where uniquely human capabilities — such as empathy and ethical decision-making — become the most valuable assets in the workplace, says Workday in its latest global research report, Elevating Human Potential: The AI Skills Revolution.

AI to usher in a new era of human expertise

KPMG International’s Survey of Sustainability Reporting 2024, published in December, highlights that sustainability reporting has become a routine part of business operations for nearly all of the top 100 companies in each country. Notably, Malaysia is among seven countries where all top 100 companies report on their sustainability efforts.

Top global companies make sustainability reporting part of core practice

Women entrepreneurs bring a range of valuable contributions to start-ups, such as fresh viewpoints, unique experience and a sense of the female consumer segment. However, to date, there is very little quantitative and qualitative data on women entrepreneurs’ participation and leadership in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) economies’ start-ups. This knowledge gap hampers the development of policy solutions to inequalities between women and men, and the challenges faced by women in start-ups.