Hwaseong: ASML, a Netherlands-based semiconductor equipment manufacturer, has completed the construction of a manufacturing plant in South Korea, marking a significant development for the collaboration between the Dutch company and Korean chipmakers, the industry ministry announced.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the completion ceremony of the 16,000-square-meter facility, named the New Campus, took place in Hwaseong, a prominent semiconductor hub located approximately 50 kilometers south of Seoul. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources stated that ASML's Hwaseong campus is expected to serve as a critical manufacturing hub in Asia and play a pivotal role in enhancing Korea's semiconductor supply chains.
ASML plans to deepen its technological exchanges and cooperation with major Korean chipmakers, including Samsung Electronics Co. and SK hynix Inc. The company is renowned as the world's largest manufacturer of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography systems, cutting-edge machines used in semiconductor manufacturing to print intricate circuit patterns onto silicon wafers.
The Hwaseong plant will feature a repair center for remanufacturing essential equipment such as EUV and deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography systems and a training center aimed at transferring advanced technologies. Kang Gam-chan, deputy minister for trade and investment at the ministry, emphasized the importance of international cooperation for the advancement of Korea's semiconductor industry, highlighting the completion ceremony as a testament to such collaboration.
ASML has announced that approximately 1,500 employees of ASML Korea, currently stationed at various offices in Hwaseong, will relocate to the new campus by the end of the year. In a bid to bolster cooperation with Korean chipmakers, ASML also plans to foster a cooperative ecosystem with Korean companies specializing in materials, components, and equipment.
ASML's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Christophe Fouquet recently met with SK hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung and reportedly had discussions with Jun Young-hyun, head of Samsung Electronics' chip division, to explore avenues for expanding collaboration.