ASML, Europe’s technology company and popular chip maker, is moving ahead with its plan to cut jobs and reorganise its structure. Internal documents reportedly show that the company will reduce around 1,700 positions, with many management and senior technical roles at risk. Media reports suggest that the changes are part of a wider effort to simplify operations and improve efficiency after complaints from employees and customers about the company’s complex and slow-moving structure.
The restructuring will reduce the number of architects, who are senior technical staff responsible for coordinating projects. Their responsibilities will be streamlined and more clearly defined. ASML also plans a six-week hiring freeze during the summer. In the US, the number of roles affected has been lowered from 300 to 185.
ASML employs about 44,000 people worldwide. In a letter earlier this year, Christophe Fouquet, CEO, ASML, acknowledged employee concerns about the impact of the transformation. He explained that while some roles will be cut, the company also plans to create about 1,400 new engineering jobs to support growth.
The reshuffle reflects ASML’s strategy to prioritise engineering and operations as it continues to expand rapidly. Fouquet reportedly emphasised that the company will need more people in technical and operational areas to meet future demand.
This restructuring highlights a shift in focus: fewer layers of management and more emphasis on engineering talent. For employees, the changes mean uncertainty for those in coordination and leadership roles, but also new opportunities for engineers as ASML.
Interestingly, ASML is reportedly to be planning a customer support office in India, in Gujarata’s GIFT City, to support local semiconductor manufacturing projects.