Manufacturers of specialised equipment see continued growth

Growth in Asia: A Pentamaster employee working on a test the high precision test and laser mark machine.

Penang-based semiconductor test and vision equipment manufacturing companies expect to outsource more jobs to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) this year, despite a forecast of slower growth for worldwide semiconductor equipment spending for the year.

According to the Connecticut-based research company Gartner, capital equipment spending will increase 5.6% this year, down from 11.3% forecast in the third quarter last year, as the largest spenders adopt conservative investment strategies.