According to reports, the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) announced that the Dutch semiconductor equipment giant ASML plans to invest 240 billion won (approximately US$210 million) in South Korea in the next 4 years to build an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) remanufacturing plant and training center Park.

The report pointed out that ASML plans to build an EUV equipment park in Hwaseong City, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea within the next four years, including a remanufacturing plant and a training center. The new plant is expected to be completed in 2025, and plans to hire 300 local professionals in South Korea.

ASML is the world’s only manufacturer of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) equipment, which is mainly used for semiconductor production. The company’s lithography equipment costs up to 200 million euros each and is used by semiconductor manufacturers such as Samsung, Intel, and TSMC to assist in the manufacture of chips. , Is an indispensable equipment for manufacturing, but the annual output is between 30 and 40 units.

The report pointed out that ASML's remanufacturing plant in South Korea will be used to upgrade EUV equipment already in operation in South Korea. The training center, which is expected to be used to train equipment operation engineers, will also bring good news to Korean domestic semiconductor companies. In addition, the business relationship between ASML and Korean customers is also expected to be strengthened.

ASML shipped 9 extreme ultraviolet (EUV) machines in the first quarter, but first confirmed the revenue of only 7 units, totaling 1.1 billion euros. The company predicts that the total sales of EUV machines this year will increase by 30% over 2020.

Chief Executive Peter Wennink previously stated that due to global chip shortages, this year's financial performance is expected to exceed previous financial guidance. Wennink said that customers installed ASML software to upgrade their machines and increase productivity. The introduction of 5G, artificial intelligence and high-performance computing has also increased demand.

ASML also currently plans to enter the Chinese market. In view of the high dependence of semiconductors on foreign countries, the Chinese government hopes to establish a world-class local chip industry. This work will require ASML's EUV equipment. However, due to the Sino-US trade tensions, ASML shipments to China are difficult.