Samsung Electronics and ASML from the Netherlands, who make semiconductor equipment, recently said they'll invest close to a billion dollars in a new lab in South Korea.

With the use of cutting-edge extreme ultraviolet (EUV) photolithography technology, this facility seeks to develop semiconductor production technology to an "ultra-microscopic" level.

Also, SK Hynix, a big name in the computer parts industry, is working with ASML to create methods that don't use much energy. They aim to reduce how much power the chip-making process takes up while using the ultraviolet technology.

South Korea's Ministry for Industry told us about these partnerships. They highlighted how semiconductor firms want to push what's possible and make things more eco-friendly.

W1tr Chip Equipment Research Facility to be Built in Korea

At the meeting in the Netherlands with President Yoon, some big deals went down between chip companies from South Korea and the Netherlands.

Big names like the head of Samsung Electronics, Lee Jae-yong, and SK Group CEO Chey Tae-won were there, along with South Korean Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun. On the Dutch side, they had the foreign trade minister Geoffrey van Leeuwen, ASML CEO Peter Wennink, and ASM International CEO Benjamin Loh.

The partnership between Samsung and ASML is supposed to give South Korea an advantage in the intense competition to make the most high-tech chips.

Minister Ahn seemed hopeful about SK Hynix working with ASML to develop technologies that care about the environment, hoping to make the chip industry more eco-friendly.

When President Yoon went over, business leaders like Lee and Chey toured the ASML headquarters and cleanroom in Veldhoven, strengthening what they had and thinking about what new things they could make together for making semiconductors in the future.

Fostering Future Chip Talents: Korea's Strategic Partnership with ASML

The Trade Ministry has announced plans to cultivate 500 chip talents over the coming years. This initiative involves South Korean participants visiting key locations such as ASML and NXP headquarters to enhance their skills.

ASML, founded in 1984 as a spin-off from Philips, specializes in producing highly crucial EUV lithography machines essential for advanced chip manufacturing.

These machines are priced at approximately $254 million each, and major chip companies like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have significant interest in acquiring them.

South Korea is a substantial ASML market, contributing 29% of the company's revenue last year, trailing only behind Taiwan's TSMC.

Wisely, the Dutch company has decided to invest about $207 million in Korea to establish a chip center named the Hwaseong Campus in Gyeonggi. This facility will house a local repair center and training programs, bolstering the company's presence and expertise in Korea's chip industry.

South Korea and the Netherlands are deepening their ties through collaboration on semiconductors. ASML's ultraviolet machines are assisting Korean chipmakers like Samsung and SK Hynix build faster chips. Joint efforts aim to improve efficiency and lessen costs via recycling hydrogen gas.

The partnership shows a significant change in their semiconductor alliance.