Overview
- At a POLITICO Competitive Europe summit in Brussels, ASML executive Frank Heemskerk contrasted India’s openness with the difficulty of meeting senior EU policymakers.
- Heemskerk said ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet held a two-hour meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who invited candid feedback by saying, “You’re too friendly, tell me what we can do better.”
- He noted it can be easier to meet a senior White House official than an EU commissioner, underscoring frustrations with access in Brussels.
- Heemskerk highlighted ASML’s €1.3 billion partnership with French AI firm Mistral, describing it as driven by Mistral’s industrial AI focus rather than geopolitics.
- ASML, the sole supplier of EUV lithography systems, is engaging with India’s semiconductor ecosystem, including participation in SEMICON India and exploratory discussions on collaboration.