Netherlands-based ASML, a global leader and the largest supplier of advanced lithography scanners, has faced a paradoxical situation: despite colossal global demand for its products, the European market generates virtually no revenue. Corporation management points out that European countries fail to properly invest in local semiconductor infrastructure development and do not build specialized fabrication plants.
Asian Markets and Investment Appeal
During a recent event in the Dutch capital, ASML Executive Vice President Frank Heemskerk stated that the company actually makes no sales in the domestic European market. According to him, during trips to China and India, company executives are greeted at the highest level with offers of unprecedented conditions for localizing equipment manufacturing. Meanwhile, Asian countries such as South Korea and Taiwan remain the primary buyers of complex technological systems.
Regional Positions in Revenue Structure and Europe's Ambitions
According to statistics, last year Europe combined with Africa and the Middle East accounted for just one percent of ASML's revenue, and in the second quarter of this year, this figure dropped to zero. South Korea, Taiwan, and China remain the largest consumers of the equipment. At the same time, Europe's ambitions boil down to plans to produce about 20% of all advanced chips on its territory by 2030, though the lion's share of capacities is being developed by foreign technology giants.
Contradictory Data
While official ASML representatives report a total lack of European sales and active lobbying by China and India to build factories locally, the expert community notes the persistence of strict American export restrictions and sanctions pressure on the Chinese high-tech sector. Additionally, discrepancies arise regarding the scale of future localization in the US, where the company already spends a significant portion of its budget on research and development.
