Chinese buyers swoop on BelGaN equipment assets
January 20, 2025
Chinese companies were among the main buyers at bankruptcy auction of chip manufacturing equipment belonging to BelGaN, according to The Brussels Times.
Plans for a possible purchase of the wafer fab have come to nought resulting in bankruptcy and the loss of 400 jobs. The auction raised more than €23 million, the report said.
BelGaN (Oudenaarde, Belgium) was last industrial chip manufacturer. The wafer fab was formed as Mietec in 1983 before being acquired by Alcatel and then by AMI, and then sold to OnSemi in 2008. Investors with Chinese backing bought the fab in 2022 with a view to creating a GaN foundry operation.
Reports say officials are determining which items of equipment will need a license for export to China.
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