5-minute read - by Remco van de Berg, August 4, 2021
Thanks to emerging digital technology such as 5G, there's never been a better time to start a career in the semiconductor industry. HR talent sourcing manager Remco van de Berg offers insights for job seekers looking for a new opportunity.
Lately I feel like I can't escape this headline on social media and when scrolling through the news: 'Where are the chips?' You're probably thinking, "There must be a lot of jobs in the semiconductor industry, right?" Correct. But what kinds of jobs are out there, and do you have the right expertise?
From smartphones to cars, manufacturers and the semiconductor industry are ramping up to meet the world's seemingly insatiable demand for chips. And though the shortage will eventually get under control, emerging markets and technologies such as AI, robotic process automation and 5G connectivity will fuel the growth of the semiconductor industry for years to come. Let's take a closer look at what the semiconductor industry actually comprises, what is fueling this growth, and what the future looks like for this industry.
How big is the semiconductor industry?
ASML is just one part of a huge industry. The global semiconductor market is valued at well over €412 billion and, as discussed by our CEO Peter Wennink, is projected to reach close to a trillion in the next decade. As part of this market, ASML is one of the top five semiconductor capital equipment vendors, or 'semicap' for short – we make the tools required by chipmakers. Intel (US), Samsung Electronics (South Korea) and TSMC (Taiwan) are the world's largest semiconductor companies and are ASML's biggest customers. Intel and Samsung are integrated device manufacturers (IDMs), which design and manufacture their own chips. Samsung also acts as a 'foundry', along with TSMC – these companies manufacture chips designed by other, 'fabless' semiconductor firms such as Qualcomm, NVIDIA and AMD.
The semiconductor industry covers the globe, bringing together people from many nations, cultures and backgrounds. ASML reflects this: People with 120 different nationalities work at over 60 ASML locations across the world. Our lithography machines are assembled and tested in huge cleanrooms at our headquarters in the Netherlands, where most of our corporate functions are also located, but R&D, parts manufacturing and customer support happen all over the world.
We've been working with the 'big players' in the industry since spinning off from Philips Research in 1984. IBM bought our first PAS 5500 lithography system, and we soon started working with Intel in the US, TSMC in Taiwan, and other Asia- and US-based chipmakers. We engineer in a collaborative way, not only working together across teams and departments, but with our suppliers, customers, and even with research institutes. For example, our partnership with the German lens manufacturer ZEISS dates back to 1986, and we've been working with Berliner Glas Group – who recently joined the ASML family – since the 90s.
