The Dutch government, together with the Eindhoven region, is allocating 2.5 billion euros to improve the business climate for the microchip sector. This was reported by Minister of Economy Micky Adriaansens.
The minister says that this part of the technology industry – with the Veldhoven chip machine manufacturer ASML in the lead – is of great importance for the earning capacity of the Netherlands and employment. The ‘Project Beethoven’, as the government calls the plan, provides, among other things, for additional investments in talent development. But it must also become more attractive to live and work in the region, so that companies can more easily attract foreign talent.
In addition, the shortage on the electricity grid must be addressed. ASML recently warned that it has concerns about the business climate in the Netherlands. If this does not improve, the company could decide to move investments abroad for further growth, according to CEO Peter Wennink. The government assumes that these measures will result in the company refraining from doing so.
ASML response
Chip machine manufacturer ASML is responding positively to the news. “As we have said before, we prefer to realize a significant part of our expansion plans in the Netherlands,” the chipmaker company writes. But that would be ‘provided that the expansion plans are supported by favorable business conditions such as the availability of high-quality talent, infrastructure, housing and by a strong overall business environment’.
ASML states that it has not yet made a final decision on its growth plans. But the news about the financing would help meet that condition. “We believe that the plans presented today, if supported by Parliament, strongly support these circumstances, and will continue to work with the Dutch government to finalize decision-making on our expansion.”
