Dutch chip sector doubles in six years: what the ASML boom means for internationals in the Netherlands

The Dutch semiconductor industry has more than doubled its turnover in six years, reaching €45.6 billion in 2025, and employment in the sector has nearly doubled to over 43,000 people, according to provisional figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) published on 27 August 2026. The growth is driven overwhelmingly by ASML, the Veldhoven-based maker of the world’s most advanced chip-making machines, which reported record worldwide sales of nearly €33 billion in 2025. The company’s expansion plans include a new campus near Eindhoven that will accommodate an extra 20,000 jobs – almost doubling its Dutch workforce. For internationals living in the Netherlands, this surge means a steady stream of highly skilled jobs, renewed pressure on the already tight housing market in the Eindhoven region, and a strong signal that the Dutch government is willing to go to great lengths to keep the chip industry anchored here.

The numbers behind the boom

CBS estimates that the Dutch semiconductor sector’s turnover grew from €21.3 billion in 2019 to €45.6 billion in 2025 – an average annual increase of 14%. The figures are provisional and based on a new measurement method that combines CBS data with government information, covering more than 300 companies including chipmakers, machine builders, and parts suppliers (DutchNews.nl). ASML accounted for the lion’s share: its 2025 worldwide sales of €32.7 billion dwarf those of other Dutch chip firms such as NXP and ASMI (NL Times).

Employment in the sector rose from just over 23,000 in 2019 to more than 43,000 in 2025. However, the pace of hiring slowed last year, with only about 1,000 net new jobs added – the smallest increase in the period. CBS noted that new companies entering the sector since 2019 contributed only about €400 million to the revenue growth, suggesting that the expansion has been driven by existing firms scaling up (NL Times).

What drives the growth? AI and global demand

The main engine behind ASML’s record sales is the boom in artificial intelligence. Tech companies are building massive data centres that require the most advanced chips, and ASML is the sole global supplier of the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography systems needed to produce those chips. “AI is highly dependent on chips. The semiconductor industry is therefore the technical engine beneath all the developments we are seeing in the field of AI,” said Marjolijn Jaarsma, CBS’s international trade spokesperson (DutchNews.nl).

The new campus: 20,000 extra jobs – and a government scramble

On 8 September 2026, ASML celebrated the start of construction on a new campus at Brainport Industries Campus (BIC) North, near Eindhoven. The site is designed to accommodate an extra 20,000 employees, almost doubling the company’s current Dutch workforce of around 20,000. Prime Minister Rob Jetten, his predecessor Dick Schoof, and Eindhoven Mayor Jeroen Dijsselbloem attended the ceremony. CEO Christophe Fouquet thanked the government for “close cooperation” (NL Times).

That cooperation was not accidental. The expansion almost didn’t happen in the Netherlands. In 2024, ASML signalled it might move significant operations abroad if the business climate did not improve. The then-caretaker cabinet launched “project Beethoven” – a package of measures including tens of millions of euros for training courses and investments in regional accessibility – to persuade ASML to stay. Two critical bottlenecks had to be resolved: a nitrogen permit (a rare commodity in nitrogen-strapped Noord-Brabant) and a connection to the overloaded power grid. ASML eventually secured both: grid operator TenneT will extend a high-voltage station near Best, and the province granted the nitrogen permit (NL Times).

What this means for internationals on a residence permit

For expats and highly skilled migrants, the semiconductor boom translates into concrete opportunities and challenges:

• Jobs: ASML alone employs roughly 20,000 people in the Netherlands, and its new campus will add another 20,000 roles. Many of these positions – in engineering, software, and research – are eligible for the highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant) scheme, which offers a streamlined residence permit route. The 30% ruling for expats (belastingkorting voor buitenlandse werknemers) remains a significant financial incentive, though it has been scaled back in recent years.
• Housing: The Eindhoven region – already one of the tightest housing markets in the country – will face even more pressure. Internationals moving for chip-sector jobs should expect fierce competition for rentals and higher prices. The government’s “project Beethoven” included some housing pledges, but concrete numbers are still vague. If you’re planning to move, start your housing search early and consider nearby towns like Veldhoven, Best, or Helmond.
• Infrastructure: The power grid expansion and nitrogen permit are a reminder that the Netherlands is struggling to keep up with industrial growth. Internationals may experience local power outages or delays in new housing construction.
• Residence permits: The chip sector is a priority for the Dutch government. This means the IND (Immigration and Naturalisation Service) is likely to maintain fast-track processing for highly skilled migrant applications linked to ASML and its suppliers. But be aware that the overall political climate around migration is tightening – the government is simultaneously trying to reduce net migration.

Broader perspective

The CBS figures and the ASML campus ground-breaking underscore a strategic reality: the Netherlands has become a linchpin of the global semiconductor supply chain. The government’s willingness to spend public money and clear environmental hurdles to keep ASML shows that chip-making is seen as a matter of national economic security. For internationals, this sector offers a relatively stable career path, but it also ties your future to a single company and a single region. The risk of overconcentration is real – if demand for AI chips falters or if geopolitical tensions disrupt exports, the Eindhoven economy could take a hit.

For now, the mood is celebratory. But the practical question for anyone on a residence permit is: can you find a home, and can you get a permit fast enough? The answer, for now, is “yes, but with effort.”