ASML, Europe’s most valuable technology company and key to global semiconductor manufacturing, announced a profound structural change this fourth quarter (January 28). At the same time that we reported on record improvements in artificial intelligence (AI), the Dutch giant will be able to eliminate 3,000 management costs as it strengthens the contraction in its engineering areas to increase its innovation capacity.
The purchase of advanced lithography machines necessary for the production of AI chips from Nvidia, I read guidance from ASML to reach 13.2 million euros in the fourth quarter. That figure is nearly double the 7.1 million registered in the comparable period and equal to analysts’ forecasts, which had estimated it would be worth 6.32 million.
Christophe Fouquet, CEO of ASML, points out that customer expansions such as TSMC, Samsung and Micron translate directly into massive referrals. “Micron announces new works almost every week, which is a direct translation of our recommendations,” the Reuters report quoted him as saying.
Less bureaucracy, more innovation
Given the many positive numbers, the company’s restructuring plan focuses on removing organizational complexity. The company will now cut 1,700 immediate jobs (about 3.8% of the total), or a total of 3,000 managerial positions are expected to be eliminated in the long term. The goal is clear: to free up financial and operational resources to contract other resources.
“Our engineers told us that we hadn’t innovated for a long time because the organization had become too complex again.”explains Fouquet. Because of this “cleaning up” of the company’s structures, ASML expects its “innovation engine” to operate without input from the corporate bureaucracy.
In this context, ASML raised its forecasts for 2026 and announced a share buyback program of 12 million euros until 2028.
However, even as this process of agile activity continues, the market is reacting with some caution. As a result, he is expected to suffer 6% but pay 1.9% (€1194). Analysts are now highly doubtful of whether ASML will have the physical production capacity to handle all the machines required in the AI market, which continues to accelerate vertically.
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