Asma and Samsung Electronics have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly invest 1 trillion Korean won (approximately 704 million euros) to establish a research center in South Korea to study ultra fine chip manufacturing processes using next-generation ultra ultraviolet lithography machines.
The background of this event is that Yin Xiyue will conduct a four-day state visit to the Netherlands starting from Monday. According to the schedule, on Tuesday local time, Yin Xiyue will visit the headquarters of semiconductor equipment manufacturer Asma together with Dutch King William Alexander, Samsung Electronics President Lee Jae yong, and SK Group President Choi Tae yuan. He will visit the main facilities with the company’s current CEO Peter Winning and discuss solutions to strengthen cooperation in the chip supply chain and technological innovation field.
This is also the first state visit by a South Korean president to the Netherlands since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1961. After arriving in the Netherlands, Yin Xiyue was welcomed by the Dutch royal family and government officials.
Asme is the only manufacturer in the world capable of producing EUV lithography machines, and Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are both Asme’s main customers. In terms of sales, South Korea is Asme’s second largest market. The South Korean presidential office has announced that Yoon Seok yeol will become the first foreign leader to visit the Dutch “cleanroom” production facility.
At the meeting held at Asma headquarters, Asma and Samsung Electronics signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly build a chip research center in South Korea; In addition, Asma has signed an agreement with SK Hynix to collaborate on the development of technology aimed at reducing energy consumption in chip manufacturing.
South Korean officials claim that the collaboration between Asme and Samsung Electronics has further advanced South Korea’s ultra fine chip manufacturing technology, and it is expected that the transaction between Asme and SK Hynix will bring a more environmentally friendly chip manufacturing equipment ecosystem to South Korea.
Yin Xiyue said, “The scope of cooperation between South Korea and the Netherlands is expanding, from strategic areas such as defense and security to economic and cultural exchanges, as well as cutting-edge scientific and technological exchanges. With the signing of many agreements and memorandums of understanding during this visit, the relationship between South Korea and the Netherlands will further deepen.”
Yin Xiyue said in an interview that semiconductors are the “key” to the relationship between South Korea and the Netherlands. Currently, the semiconductor industry is “more strategically important than ever before, which makes this visit to the Netherlands particularly meaningful.”.
He stated that his visit to Asma will mark a “key turning point” in the relationship between the two countries, and discussing chip cooperation will be a top priority of his visit to the Netherlands.
South Korean Trade Minister Ahn Duk geun said, “Today is a day for semiconductor manufacturing powerhouse South Korea and the Netherlands to re align. The new bilateral partnership will make the global chip supply chain more stable and stimulate more technological innovation.”