ASML to Hire 300 in China This Year to Meet Chip Growth, Exec Reveals

ASML Holding plans to hire approximately 300 employees in China this year to keep pace with evolving customer needs and increased demand, according to the company’s global executive vice president.

These roles include customer support engineers, technical support specialists, and installation engineers. Shen Bo, who also serves as president of the company’s China operations based in Veldhoven, shared this update in a recent interview.

Chinese clients are enhancing chip performance through various technological avenues, such as redesigning chip architecture and testing new packaging methods. Shen noted that these areas are still being actively explored through multiple approaches, leaving significant space for innovation.

The industry is witnessing a growing interplay between front-end and back-end processes. Some companies that traditionally focused solely on packaging are now becoming customers of ASML’s equipment and technology, Shen added.

In recent years, mainland China has become a key market for ASML, accounting for over 30% of the company’s global revenue. However, recent US export restrictions caused that share to decline from 33% last year to 19% in the first quarter, according to the latest financial disclosures.

Despite these obstacles, the company has increased its revenue forecast for the year to between EUR36 billion (roughly USD42.2 billion) and EUR40 billion, up from a previous range of EUR34 billion to EUR39 billion, driven by strong demand fueled by artificial intelligence advancements, the report indicated.

Global orders for ASML remain strong, Shen emphasized. New applications and increased demands are emerging almost daily. He referenced a recent engagement with a tech firm, illustrating the industry’s shift from a focus on demand availability to ensuring supply chain and production capacity can meet growing needs.

One of the biggest current challenges for ASML is capacity constraints. Manufacturing lithography machines is a lengthy process, with some models taking several months to more than two years from component sourcing to delivery.

Editors: Dou Shicong, Kim Taylor