Note that the event is in-person only!
Over the course of one and a half years, technology journalist Marc Hijink investigated Nexperia. Until recently, the semiconductor company attracted little international attention. This all changed in October last year, when the chipmaker was caught in a whirlwind of diplomatic outrage and global chip shortages in the automotive industry.
The Dutch minister Vincent Karremans described it as an ‘economic thriller’ in which he himself plays a leading role.
Marc will also focus on the role of Zhang ‘Wing’ Xuezheng, the ambitious Chinese CEO Wing, who dreamed of building a global chip powerhouse, while aiming for a Dutch knighthood and other honorary titles to boost his reputation. When Wing bought Nexperia in 2019, the Chinese entrepreneur was already on the radar of the Dutch intelligence service AIVD.
In this session, Marc Hijink will take us behind the scenes of his investigation. He will reflect on how and why Nexperia suddenly moved from relative obscurity to the centre of international concern.
Why this matters?
Drawing on his deep knowledge of the semiconductor industry and his experience covering ASML, Marc will discuss what his research says about:
- technological dependence and strategic autonomy
- Europe’s position in the global semiconductor value chain
- geopolitical tensions increasingly shaping corporate decision-making and public policy.
Programme
- 8:45–9:00 AM | Doors open
- 9:00–9:05 AM | Introduction
- 9:05–9:30 AM | Presentation by Marc Hijink
- 9:30–10:00 AM | Q&A moderated by Floris Harm, CKN/LeidenAsiaCentre
- 10:00 AM | Event ends
Marc Hijink (NRC) is the global technology reporter and columnist for NRC Handelsblad. His bestselling book 'Focus, the ASML Way' is available in English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other languages. As a journalist he has over 20 years of writing experience for print media. Marc writes about the semiconductor industry and geopolitics. His column 'Achter de schermen' (behind the scenes) covers a plethora of technology topics.
