EGN NEWS DESK
The center-right member of the Flemish Parliament informed POLITICO that BelGaN was being screened to find out whether or not it was eligible for help. One media report mentioned it seemed into whether or not the possession had ties with the Chinese authorities.
The Flemish Economy Ministry declined to touch upon the screening, saying it was confidential. BelGaN did not reply to POLITICO’s questions for this text.
As Europe dishes out billions in public subsidies for the sector, disbursing that help on to Chinese-owned corporations is, typically, “somewhat bit problematic,” mentioned Frank Bösenberg, managing director of Silicon Saxony, a chips foyer group within the japanese German state.
Mixed observe report
BelGaN was based within the Nineteen Eighties, because the northern area of Flanders sought to construct itself right into a microchips powerhouse. It was created across the identical time as Imec, a chips R&D hub that has since grow to be a world champion.
BelGaN’s observe report is blended, although. The firm has modified fingers many instances; the final possession change was in 2021 when two Hong Kong-based funds, Rockley and Wuxi Group, purchased the agency from U.S.-based chipmaker Onsemi and put chips veteran Alan Zhen Zhou in place as CEO.
The firm doubled down on a brand new manufacturing course of, with chips primarily based on gallium nitride as an alternative of silicon. The expertise may enhance power effectivity and faucet into the white-hot market of electrical automobiles.
