Where’s the Next Frontier for STEM Talent in APAC?

Vietnam, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines—What Every Growth-Focused Company Needs to Know

By Stemgenic Team | April 2025

As global companies adapt to rising tariffs, shifting geopolitics, and the evolution of China+1 strategies, the question is no longer if they should diversify their operations—but where.

For talent and operations leaders across MedTech, biotech, EPC, chemicals, and industrial automation, the challenge has moved from “How do we shift supply chains?” to:

“Where can we hire the skilled, scalable, and compliant STEM workforce to match our next phase of growth?”

At Stemgenic, we help companies map their workforce strategies across Asia-Pacific, building teams that align with supply chain realities and innovation goals. In this article, we explore six of the region’s most strategic markets for STEM hiring:

• Vietnam

• Malaysia

• India

• Indonesia

• Thailand

• The Philippines

Each offers distinct advantages—and real challenges. The winning approach? Match the market to the function and build a regional talent portfolio that’s fit for purpose.

1. Vietnam: Manufacturing Agility with an Expanding Talent Base

• Best for: Electronics, OEM, MedTech assembly, industrial EPC

  Strengths:

  • Fast-growing workforce

  • Solid talent in manufacturing, QA, automation, and plant engineering

  • Attractive cost profile

• Challenges:

  • Limited senior leadership and regulatory experience

  • English proficiency varies outside of metro areas

  • Hiring Speed: 4–6 weeks for mid-level roles

  • Stemgenic Insight: Vietnam is an ideal entry point for operational ramp-ups, but companies often import senior talent from Malaysia, Singapore, or Korea to lead early-stage functions.

2. Malaysia: Technically Mature and Regionally Aligned

• Best for: MedTech R&D, semiconductors, industrial automation, chemicals

  Strengths:

  • Technically advanced and English-proficient

  • Deep talent pool in process automation, instrumentation, and regulatory roles

  • Excellent for cross-border team leadership and regional HQs

• Challenges:

  • Rising salary pressure, especially in Penang and Johor

  • Talent competition is intense

  • Hiring Speed: 2–4 weeks for mid-level roles

  • Stemgenic Insight: Malaysia is the region’s most plug-and-play location for technical and leadership roles—but success depends on fast hiring cycles and a strong employer brand.

3. India: Innovation Powerhouse with Deep STEM Capability

• Best for: Biotech, pharma, CDMO operations, R&D, digital engineering

  Strengths:

  • Large, specialized talent pool across biotech, regulatory, and tech

  • Global Capability Center (GCC) maturity

  • Excellent cost-performance ratio

• Challenges:

  • Fragmented labor market across regions

  • Retention challenges in metro tech clusters

  • Hiring Speed: 2–3 weeks for mid-level tech; longer for niche R&D roles

  • Stemgenic Insight:

    India excels in innovation, support, and digital transformation functions. The key is localizing your hiring strategy to specific state-level ecosystems like Hyderabad, Bangalore, or Pune.

4. Indonesia: The Emerging Giant for Industrial Growth

• Best for: Industrial EPC, food processing, site engineering, energy

  Strengths:

  • Large, growing STEM talent pool

  • Strong domestic policy support for infrastructure and energy sectors

  • Ideal for volume hiring in operations and production

• Challenges:

  • Limited availability of senior-level technical leadership

  • Complex labor law landscape

  • Hiring Speed: Moderate; fast for volume ops, slower for strategic roles

  • Stemgenic Insight: Indonesia offers scale and strategic value, especially in EPC. For success, pair local execution talent with regional technical oversight early on.

5. Thailand: Stability, Compliance, and Technical Maturity

• Best for: MedTech, food manufacturing, automotive, ESG-compliant production

  Strengths:

  • Skilled in lean ops, quality assurance, and regulated manufacturing

  • Increasing focus on ESG, traceability, and sustainability

• Challenges:

  • Leadership mobility across borders is limited

  • English fluency varies across technical layers

  • Hiring Speed: 3–5 weeks, depending on sector

  • Stemgenic Insight:

    Thailand is a strong choice for companies seeking manufacturing stability with ESG depth—especially when paired with Vietnam or Malaysia for dual-site production models.

6. The Philippines: STEM-Enabled Support and Shared Services Hub

• Best for: Digital engineering, clinical ops, analytics, regulatory support

• Strengths:

  • High English fluency and cultural alignment with global teams

  • Strong in STEM-enabled BPO, digital QA, and documentation

  • Growing life sciences and biotech support capabilities

• Challenges:

  • Smaller talent pool for hands-on engineering or industrial ops

  • Infrastructure gaps in non-urban regions

  • Hiring Speed: Fast, especially for digital and documentation roles

  • Stemgenic Insight:

    The Philippines is perfect for backend STEM operations—clinical support, digital design QA, regulatory documentation—not primary production or engineering leadership.
    
    

Talent Strategy Comparison Table

It’s Not “Which Country”—It’s “Which Function in Which Country?”

The smartest companies in 2025 aren’t betting everything on a single market.
They’re building distributed, cross-functional talent strategies—matching each location to its strengths.

Think:

• Manufacturing agility in Vietnam

• Engineering leadership in Malaysia

• Innovation and digital in India

• Site-scale and infrastructure in Indonesia

• Compliance and ESG strength in Thailand

• Shared services and regulatory support in the Philippines

This approach reduces risk, improves execution, and creates a future-ready STEM workforce across APAC.

Ready to Design Your APAC Talent Portfolio?

Stemgenic specializes in building cross-border STEM hiring strategies for ambitious, high-growth organizations.

📧 contactus@stemgenicglobal.com

🌐 www.stemgenicglobal.com

Let’s align your market moves with the talent that powers them.