After ASML support, Gelderland is also demanding hundreds of millions for the chip sector

Gelderland also needs hundreds of millions of euros, according to the province. Together with The Economic Board Arnhem Nijmegen, it advocates additional support for the semiconductor industry in the region. If that does not happen, various tech companies would look elsewhere.

The province calls the aid application “Chopin”. It is a clear reference to “Beethoven”, the name for the government plan to satisfy ASML and the Eindhoven region. Helga Witjes, deputy for economics and innovation of the province of Gelderland, states that “a strong and complete chain of the semiconductor industry” can also be found “on the axis from Twente via Nijmegen and Arnhem to Eindhoven”. There are plenty of examples of important chip parties in the Gelderland region, such as the Nijmegen NXP and the Duiven-based Besi (BE Semiconductor).

It seems to bother the initiators that the recent government commitments do not pay attention to the Gelderland chip sector. Only the regions of Eindhoven and Twente are highlighted, while the area in between would also be crucial.

Also read: Is 2.5 billion euros enough to keep ASML in the Netherlands?

Hundreds of millions in support

Companies in the region are said to have threatened to relocate without additional support. For this reason, Witjes is asking for a “national direction”, whereby hundreds of millions of euros in support will be made available for development in Gelderland. It is a less imposing demand than the 2.5 billion euros that the Eindhoven region received, but the question remains whether the province will get its way.

ASML threatened to leave for some time if there was not enough support from The Hague. This not only involved financial support, but also commitments regarding migration to attract the desired employees. The support amounted to 2.5 billion euros, which according to Mayor of Eindhoven Jeroen Dijsselbloem is still not enough. Because the current cabinet is outgoing, it would have kept its hand on the budget. According to Dijsselbloem, it should actually have invested up to 8 billion euros.

Tip: ‘Billions extra needed to maintain ASML’

Infrastructure

Eindhoven’s investments are used in a variety of ways, with residential land as the main cost item. An upgrade of the entire infrastructure in the region should be realized in the coming years. In Gelderland, the province is considering a similar investment. “We have the same problem. We have the same infrastructure and we also have to extend highways and build 100,000 houses,” says director of The Economic Board Jan van Dellen.

If investments are not forthcoming, Germany would be eager to welcome the companies. “In Germany they are shaking the stock market. There they say: we have the space and there are millions in subsidies,” says Van Dellen.

The most prominent chipping companies in Gelderland in particular are said to be about to leave. Van Dellen doesn’t mention any names, but NXP is an obvious one. That company recently presented its quarterly figures, which were quite positive despite challenges in the EV market. It is the largest chip specialist in its own country after ASML.