ASML: Russian engineer remanded in custody on suspicion of espionage
A man has been remanded in custody in the Netherlands for allegedly spying on ASML for Russia. A long entry ban has now been imposed on him.
On the way to the ASML cleanroom
(Image: The Mute Zone/ASML)
The Dutch government has imposed a 20-year entry ban on a former ASML employee who allegedly spied on the world's leading manufacturer of lithography systems for semiconductor production on behalf of Russia. This was reported by the Dutch broadcaster NOS, citing ASML itself, among others. The company has confirmed the accusation of espionage against the 43-year-old. He is therefore still in custody in the Netherlands, with a court hearing scheduled for today, Monday. The Ministry of Asylum and Migration has not explained why he was banned from entering the country. However, similar measures are only taken if there is a threat to national security.
Employed in the Dutch semiconductor industry for a long time
The Russian is accused of stealing documents from ASML for years and using them to help Russia develop its own chip production. In return, he is said to have received tens of thousands of euros. Before he was employed by ASML, he reportedly worked for the Dutch semiconductor manufacturer NXP. His first stop was the Dutch start-up Mapper Lithography, which went bankrupt in 2018. ASML took over the company's technology and employees, partly due to pressure from the US and Dutch governments. Both had feared that the know-how could fall into Russian or Chinese hands.
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The incident once again underlines the central role that ASML plays in the semiconductor industry and thus in one of the most important sectors of the global economy. With its lithography systems, the Group manufactures the technology used to produce semiconductors. ASML's technology is therefore of great interest to competitors, and the case that has now come to light is not the first involving espionage at ASML. Moreover, ASML only made it public in the spring that, in the event of a Chinese attack on Taiwan, there is a possibility of remotely shutting down the state-of-the-art lithography systems installed there.
(mho)
