Decoupling the global semiconductor supply chain would be “extremely difficult and expensive” if not impossible, a senior executive at ASML, the world’s most valuable chip equipment maker, told Nikkei Asia. Christophe Fouquet, ASML’s executive vice president and chief business officer, said in an exclusive interview that any single country would struggle to build its own fully self-reliant chip industry. “We do not believe in ASML that decoupling is possible. We believe this will be extremely difficult and extremely expensive,” Fouquet told Nikkei at the company’s headquarters. “It’s a matter of time until people realize that the only way to be successful in semiconductors is through cooperation.” “The idea that we could go back to a little dark corner and do it all alone is most probably a very challenging concept,” the chief business officer said. Fouquet’s remarks came as major economies including the U.S., Japan, the European Union, India and China rush to onshore vital semiconductor production in hopes of achieving self-reliance in chips.

Full comments : ASML EVP Christophe Fouquet says decoupling the global chip supply chain would be “extremely difficult and expensive”, as major economies push for self-reliance.