Former ASML and NXP engineer jailed for leaking chipmaking secrets to Russia

In context: As tensions rise over semiconductor dominance, intellectual property tied to chip manufacturing has become a prime target for espionage. Companies like ASML and NXP sit at the center of this strategic tech battleground, making any breach not just a corporate concern but a geopolitical one. A recent case in the Netherlands highlights just how far some actors are willing to go to access this sensitive technology.

German Aksenov, a 43-year-old former employee of ASML and NXP, has been sentenced to three years in prison for sharing sensitive chip manufacturing documents with a contact in Russia. Aksenov, a process engineer who, according to his LinkedIn profile, was most recently employed at NXP, violated European Union sanctions imposed on Russia in 2014.

ASML, a Dutch company, is the world's sole supplier of extreme ultraviolet lithography machines used in advanced chip production. NXP, meanwhile, is a leading semiconductor firm known ...