Part 5/8:
The geopolitical landscape significantly affects ASML's business strategy. Kristof highlights concerns about the growing tensions between the U.S. and China, emphasizing that as the semiconductor sector is intertwined with national security and economic competitiveness, the implications of decoupling markets could be profound.
China, for instance, lags significantly behind in access to EUV technology, which presents challenges in its pursuit of advanced chip production. Kristof suggests that without access to such essential machinery, China may remain at least a decade behind in producing high-end semiconductor technology.