News item | 19-05-2025 | 11:15
Half -conductors (microchips) play an important role in daily life: they are in telephones, solar panels and medical equipment. Dutch companies and knowledge institutions are among the top of the global semiconductor industry. Singapore is an international junction for semiconductor production and logistics. That is why Minister Beljaarts (Economic Affairs) and his Singaporean citizens, Minister Grace Fu (Trade and Industry) agreed that both countries strengthen cooperation in the field of semiconductors. For this, an official working group starts (NL-SG Bilateral Working Group on Semiconductors).
With this step, both countries want to further strengthen ties between companies, knowledge institutions and governments and explore how cooperation across national borders can be expanded. This development is in line with the European Semicon Coalition who was presented in March on the initiative of Minister Beljaarts. This cooperation focuses on extra innovation, expanding the European position to other components in the value chain and marketing technology faster.
Minister Beljaarts: “The semiconductor sector is essential for our economic growth, European technological leadership and national security. By collaborating with innovative and powerful partners outside of Europe such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, we strengthen our mutual position in the worldwide value chain.”
Semiconductors as key technology
Half -conductors have grown into a central pivot in geopolitical and economic power relations. The sector already represented 15% of the worldwide goods trade in 2020. It is expected that the sector will have an annual turnover of € 1 trillion by 2030 and may double again by 2040.
The Netherlands has one of the most advanced and cooperating semiconductor ecosystems in the world, with international leaders such as ASML, ASM and NXP, an innovative SME, and a strong knowledge base including TNO and the technical universities of Delft, Eindhoven and Twente. Singapore has leading production companies, has strong research and development capacities and plays a key role in the global supply chains. An official working group – such as the NL-SG Bilateral Working Group on Semiconductors – is a good example of how these ecosystems are connected to each other and how cooperation in the field of innovation and technology development can be encouraged. This working group is a joint initiative of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Singaporean Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Business delegation: new collaborations with Singapore
During his visit to the Semicon Southeast Asia Conference, Minister Beljaarts are accompanied by two Dutch delegations of more than 50 leading companies, knowledge institutions and government representatives from the semiconductor and integrated photonics industry. Various new collaborations were announced during his visit. For example, Besi works together with the Singapore Knowledge Institute IME on innovative packaging technologies for Microchips and SIOUX Technologies and MeetingLect have concluded new contracts with Singaporean partners. The companies have developed an online tool that allows customers to easily book meeting rooms in different hotels. These developments underline the power of Dutch entrepreneurship and international cooperation in the high -tech sector. In the run-up to the 60th anniversary of relations with Singapore in December 2025, the visit also contributes to the further development of cooperation between the two countries.