According to news on March 6, the United States' influence on China's semiconductor export control measures is gradually expanding. According to a report by the political news website Politico on the 4th, the Belgian Microelectronics Research Center (IMEC), which used to have high-profile cooperation with Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) and Huawei, has now changed its tune.
IMEC: "Significant reduction" in cooperation with China
IMEC has long been the center of European semiconductor research. According to the report, Belgium's Flanders Regional Economic Authority, which oversees IMEC, said the center had "significantly reduced" its cooperation with China.
European governments are paying close attention to their chip companies' ties with China under pressure from the United States, which aims to cut off China's access to advanced chips.
Since its founding in 1984, IMEC has cultivated a neutral image where researchers, chipmakers and other companies from around the world can work together to advance the next generation of chips.
As a world-renowned independent public R&D platform, IMEC is an indicator R&D institution in the semiconductor industry. It has the world's most advanced chip R&D technology and processes. Together with Intel and IBM in the United States, it is known as the "3I" in the global microelectronics field. Samsung, TSMC, Qualcomm, ARM and other global semiconductor industry chain giants have extensive cooperation.
On the morning of October 18, 2018, Premier Li Keqiang, accompanied by Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Economic Minister Peters, visited the Belgian Microelectronics Research Center in Leuven.
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Switzerland in the field of semiconductors
In an interview last month, IMEC CEO Luc Van den hove praised his center as the "Switzerland of semiconductors" where all the major players in the industry can come together. This stance has led IMEC to high-profile cooperation with Chinese companies such as Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. and Huawei in the past. Two of IMEC's spin-off companies were later even merged into Huawei. One was merged in 2011 and was named M4S, and the other was merged in 2013 and was named Caliopa. In 2015, IMEC cooperated with SMIC and Huawei to establish a joint venture.
Asked about its partnerships with Chinese companies, IMEC said in a statement that based on U.S. export policies and the fact that IMEC has a large number of partners in the U.S., the center "has developed strong plans for cooperation with Chinese companies and universities." "Our policy will be further fine-tuned based on global geopolitical developments."
The Flanders region provides subsidies to IMEC (the subsidy amount is 134 million euros in 2022) and has great influence on the operation of the center through representatives on the board of directors.
In November last year, when asked whether IMEC should show caution towards China, Jo Brouns, economic director of Belgium's Flanders region, pointed out that the center must "pay special attention to like-minded countries". The United States, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are all like-minded partners with the West and are important chip bases. Brauns agrees that something is changing on that front.
IMEC's change of attitude is based on the tit-for-tat chip war between the United States and China, with Europe caught in the middle. Last year, the United States put pressure on the Netherlands to impose export controls on Dutch chip equipment supplier ASML to China. Asmore is one of the few suppliers of advanced chip lithography machines in the world. The United States believes that the company is the best bottleneck for cutting off China's acquisition of advanced chips.
IMEC is ASMO's long-term partner. In June last year, they signed an agreement to cooperate in building a test production line using state-of-the-art technology in Leuven, IMEC's headquarters.
So far, Belgian officials have been silent on IMEC's position in the overall geopolitical contest, despite their close ties to ASML. When Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo visited China in January, he said in an interview: "IMEC will continue to do business with China, but it needs more attention in some areas.
