ASML appears to have accelerated its ambitious expansion plans. The Netherlands-based undisputed leader in the design and provision of advanced chip-making equipment now signals it will have employees moved into its new Brainport Industries Campus, near Eindhoven, by 2028. The update was shared in a presentation of a preliminary draft urban development plan alongside officials from the municipality of Eindhoven, reports Tweakers.net and mainstream Dutch news media like ED (we used machine translations).
The Brainport Industries Campus expansion plans were first made public about a year ago. At that time, the company discussed the expansion coming into being "around or after 2030," according to the Dutch sources. Yesterday, during the presentation, attendees were told about the first of the additional 20,000 employees settling into their new roles in three years - which would make it 2028.
ASML's new campus plans are rather impressive and have even been called "un-Dutchly large," by some. The expanded campus will add 357,000 square meters or more to ASML's footprint. That's approximately as big as 50 football fields. ASML has located the new campus between Eindhoven Airport and the A2 motorway – and the site will even be intersected by the Ekkersrijt river.
Details shared yesterday suggest that the new campus area will include two parking garages, plus slots for 4,200 bicycles. The municipality won't make a dedicated motorway (freeway) exit for the facility, however, two major roads will be redesigned to address the expected traffic flow, as will a dedicated bus lane for commuters.
The Dutch government released €1.7 billion last year to help facilitate this project, which is obviously going to be important for the region, and the nation in general. Though things appear to be being slipstreamed, some important hurdles remain. For example, the Dutch power grid is already creaking under current demands, and there is also said to be a 'nitrogen storage problem.' The question of land acquisition also remains, and though Philips owns 80% of the designated area, that leaves 20% open to deals and legal wrangling. Last but not least, now the plans are public, environmental associations, nearly municipalities, and other parties can respond.
Addressing EUV machine demand
It is common knowledge that ASML simply can't make its advanced machinery quickly enough to keep up with the demand from semiconductor industry giants. Thus, a major expansion in its operations will be warmly welcomed by chipmakers like TSMC, Intel, and Samsung. The expansion plans should be doubly welcomed if they can be accelerated – addressing the thirst for the world's most advanced EUV machines. Not bad for an operation which started life in a leaky shed.
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