Background

How the conception of ASML took some convincing

Jorijn van Duijn has studied the history of ASM International over six years, relying upon interviews and Arthur del Prado’s personal archive. In the capacity of PhD candidate, he’s affiliated with Rijksmuseum Boerhaave and Maastricht University.

Reading time: 8 minutes

Back in the 1980s, Philips wasn’t particularly keen on working with the much smaller company ASM International. Only by cozying up to the Dutch government, ASMI CEO Arthur del Prado managed to nudge Philips into the partnership that we know today as ASML.

Around 1980, in the wake of fierce American and Japanese competition, the European Community initiated its first cohesive effort in support of the European microelectronics industry. Within the Netherlands, public awareness about the significance of microelectronics for economic growth in the future rose as well. Yet, it seemed like the Netherlands were missing the boat.

This not only was a source of concern to the Dutch electronics behemoth Philips but also to the much lesser-known semiconductor equipment manufacturer ASM International. Though Philips initially would barely acknowledge the existence of the company from Bilthoven, the firms ended up working together after some shrewd manipulation of Dutch economic policy. The result of that collaboration: ASML.

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