This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
ASML about to expand its Japan workforce to about 700 employees by 2030 as demand for advanced semiconductor equipment grows across the country.
The Dutch chip equipment maker currently employs around 500 people in Japan, and ASML Japan President Shojiro Fujiwara outlined the expansion at a Thursday press conference.
ASML opened an office in Hokkaido in 2024 to support Rapidus, which plans to start producing 2-nanometer chips in 2027. The company has since increased its engineering team there from 24 to 50 people.
Kumamoto could also gain ASML staff as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing builds its second fabrication plant in the prefecture. TSMC partnered with Sony Group on August 11 to produce advanced image-sensor chips for smartphones, with production planned for 2029.
ASML’s Japan sales reached NT$44.34 billion, or about $1.4 billion, in 2025. Its customers included TSMC, Rapidus and Micron Technology’s Hiroshima facility.
The hiring plan reflects Japan’s effort to strengthen domestic semiconductor production.