First ASM location on High Tech Campus Almere

From left to right: Maaike Veeningen (alderman of the municipality of Almere), Paul Verhagen (CFO ASM), Hein van der Loo (mayor of the municipality of Almere), Hichem M'Saad (CEO ASM), Arjen Gerritsen (CdK province of Flevoland), Vincent Karremans (Minister of Economic Affairs), Toon van Dijk (member of the Provincial Executive of Flevoland).

Chip machine manufacturer ASM International N.V. chooses Almere as the location for its global headquarters, making it the first company to settle on the future High Tech Campus. This will be developed at Zuidoever Weerwater. ASM, the municipality of Almere and the province of Flevoland signed an outline agreement today in the presence of Minister Karremans of Economic Affairs. The move strengthens the Netherlands' position in the semiconductor industry, boosts the regional economy and puts Almere on the map as the fifth high-tech city in the Netherlands.

ASM's new campus site will have a state-of-the-art research and development centre and a specialised training facility. ASM will invest hundreds of millions in this expansion over the next few years, significantly increasing its operations and employment in the Netherlands. For Almere and the region, this means a strong boost to the economy, the addition of high-quality jobs and an attraction to other innovative companies. Together with educational institutions, targeted investments are being made in training courses that link up with the high-tech sector, so that talent can learn, work and innovate here at all levels. The establishment of ASM on the High Tech Campus is a nice step in the further development of Almere as the fifth high-tech hotspot of the Netherlands.

Councillor Maaike Veeningen: "We are proud that ASM has chosen to expand in Almere on this scale, to make a major investment and to become the first establishment on the High Tech Campus. A flying start that forms the basis for further expansion of the campus. With the current geopolitical developments, it is essential for the Netherlands and the EU to keep knowledge, production and innovation in their own hands as much as possible. ASM plays a key role in this: they are among the world's top companies in semiconductor technology and are an indispensable link in the global chip industry."

The High Tech Campus will soon offer an incubator for startups and scale-ups. It will be a place where young companies can grow and where investors see opportunities to help build tomorrow's technology.

"Companies like ASM develop key technologies needed for digitalisation, energy transition, healthcare and defence, among others. In addition, ASM makes an important contribution to the earning capacity of the Netherlands. We look forward to further shaping the innovative ecosystem in and around the campus together with them and other partners such as the state, the province and educational institutions," Veeningen said.

The province of Flevoland supports the development of this ecosystem by helping to create an attractive business climate, among other things. According to Flevoland's Queen's Commissioner Arjen Gerritsen, ASM's choice fits perfectly with the positioning of a national high-tech focal point in Flevoland: "The establishment of ASM on the high-tech campus is one of the largest economic investments in the history of our province. It demonstrates the confidence of international companies in our region. ASM which established its headquarters in Almere more than 23 years ago, today reiterates its strategic choice for our region. Flevoland is a province of strong business opportunities, excellent accessibility and access to talent. We are proud with this choice and will go all out to make the high-tech campus in Almere a success!"

What are ASM's business activities?

ASM is a Dutch multinational in the semiconductor industry. The company develops and produces advanced equipment for manufacturing microchips. ASM technology is used worldwide by microchip manufacturers for various types of electronics, such as AI applications, data centres, cars and other high-tech sectors.