Chinese-owned chipmaker Nexperia and its parent Wingtech will face off in an Amsterdam court on Wednesday, as European executives seek to wrest control of the company in a dispute that has already contributed to shortages of automotive chips.
The conflict intensified on September30, when the Dutch government briefly stepped in and took control of Nexperia, citing concerns that the company was transferring operations and intellectual property to China. That intervention was later withdrawn in an effort to ease diplomatic tensions with Beijing.
Nexperia manufactures silicon wafers — discs that contain multiple chips — in Europe before shipping them to its facilities in China for cutting and packaging.
On October7, the Amsterdam Enterprise Court suspended Wingtech founder Zhang Xuezheng from his role as Nexperia’s chief executive and removed Wingtech’s control over the company’s shares, saying there were “well-founded reasons to doubt” whether Nexperia was being properly managed.
At Wednesday’s public hearing, judges will consider whether to order a full investigation into allegations of mismanagement raised by Nexperia’s senior European managers, or whether to reverse the earlier measures. A ruling is expected at a later date.
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Insights
What are the origins of Nexperia as a chipmaker?
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What user feedback has been reported regarding Nexperia's operations?
What are the recent updates on the court case involving Nexperia and Wingtech?
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What long-term impacts could the Nexperia-Wingtech dispute have on chip manufacturing?
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What are the implications for European chipmakers if the court rules against Wingtech?
