ASML Statement on Strengthening Focus on Engineering and Innovation

[soAsian]

Is this good or bad? Is this the golden age or ASML seeing the AI bubble pop and trying to prepare for the upcoming crash?

Announcement - Veldhoven, the Netherlands, January 28, 2026
Earlier today, as referenced in our FY 2025 results release, the ASML Board of Management shared the following internal message with employees.
Dear ASML colleagues --

Today we shared our full-year financial results for 2025, as well as our outlook for the year ahead. The semiconductor ecosystem is poised to experience significant growth in the coming years, and ASML is well positioned to leverage this positive development. On behalf of the Board of Management, I want to thank everyone for their contribution to this success.

ASML Statement on Strengthening Focus on Engineering and Innovation

www.asml.com

 

[Barnsley]

Job cuts agogo ....

https://www.straitstimes.com/busine...as-ai-drives-chipmaker-demand-to-lay-off-1700

 

[Xebec]

ASML Statement on Strengthening Focus on Engineering and Innovation

www.asml.com

Is this good or bad? Is this the golden age or ASML seeing the AI bubble pop and trying to prepare for the upcoming crash?

This is a really complex one; AI may play a small role here (imo), but this sounds more like a 'we grew really fast, now we need to start acting like a larger organization' kind of play.

Of course how well this works depends on the implementation details, and the type/mindset of people ASML has working for them.

In my experience, switching from Matrix to 'direct only' orgs tends to be better for weak leaders than stronger ones, imo. It can be better and worse at the same time for engineers too..

The engineering side is simple - if you are dedicated to a product, there's more focus on what your priorities are. On the other side, engineers also tend to get pigeonholed, making it harder to grow talent organically through diverse experiences. This also causes sone engineers to get bored and leave the company, and often the good ones.

On the leader side, matrix orgs require leaders to really collaborate effectively together - politically and otherwise. (though, you get fiefdoms with either style of organization.) Not having a matrix org makes it really hard for certain things to happen - such as overarching engineering, architecture, or security initiaitves.

tl;dr:
ASML probably needs to clean up it's org, and this is a "lower risk" time to make such a change (ASML is in a good economic situation).. but this type of change could distract them, and it may also cost them engineering prowess in the long term.

 

[Fred Chen]

This statement is telling:

"The feedback from our colleagues, our suppliers and our customers shows that our ways of working have, in some cases, become less agile. Engineers in particular have expressed their desire to focus their time on engineering, without being hampered by slow process flows, and restore the fast-moving culture that has made us so successful."

Obviously reflecting how they're handling EUV issues.