Why is ASML suddenly paying lip service to the Eurofab?

“This is the most important man of the chip industry,” said Eurocommissioner Thierry Breton, pointing to ASML CEO Peter Wennink. Breton had traveled to Veldhoven to ask for support for his ambitions to establish a leading-edge fab on European soil. And he got it.

That was quite a surprise. In recent months, Wennink had expressed skepticism about Western plans to bring back semiconductor production. The top executive warned that breaking up the “global frictionless semiconductor ecosystem” built up over decades would drive up costs and slow down the pace of innovation. Countries shouldn’t worry about technological autonomy, they should focus on interdependence.