Semiconductor supply chain disruption
Dutch Enterprise Chamber orders investigation into Nexperia and Wingtech dispute
The Enterprise Chamber, a special chamber of the Amsterdam Court of Appeal, has ordered a full investigation into the policy and affairs of Nexperia in the latest development in a saga that has been ongoing since the Dutch government seized control of the company from its Chinese parent Wingtech Technology.
The decision to conduct a formal investigation into the company’s ownership came after the Enterprise Chamber said it saw evidence that careless action has been taken with a conflict of interest.
In a translation of the official communication from the court following the decision, it noted that “there are indications that the director of Nexperia changed the strategy without consultation with the other board members under threat of upcoming sanctions measures; agreements with the Ministry of Economic Affairs were no longer followed, the powers of European officials were limited and their resignation was announced”.
It recognised a rift in Nexperia’s global business since the Dutch government’s seizure of Nexperia in October 2025 and, as a result, “Nexperia's production chain has become seriously disrupted, a large number of financial and legal disputes have arisen and delivery to customers has been seriously jeopardised.”
To address these issues with semiconductor production and delivery, reports have claimed that several carmakers have found a workaround, buying the wafers directly from Nexperia in Europe and shipping them to the company’s Chinese unit themselves, where the final products can be assembled.
Disruption resulting from semiconductor shortages
The automotive industry is no stranger to semiconductor shortages in recent years, having faced a significant shortage of the vital components in the early 2020s. This year, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders' (SMMT) chief executive Mike Hawes told Automotive Logistics that the ongoing disruption from uncertainty at Nexperia has highlighted the sector’s “vulnerability” when it comes to semiconductor supply. He said the incident has flagged “a level of dependency on suppliers that you didn't necessarily recognise as being dependant on”.
“Everyone's remapping their supply chain to try and reduce the risk across it,” Hawes said. “Semiconductors are critically important in particular because that's a product component for which you're competing with other sectors and they're having a much more close and direct relationship with semiconductors.”
Here, Hawes touched on a key concern for automotive, as there is evidence of another chip shortage as manufacturers of dynamic random access memory (Dram) chips reallocate capacity in preference of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for AI data centres.
What happens now?
The Enterprise Chamber will appoint two researchers to carry out the investigation. A report will be produced in a process that could take longer than six months. Once the report us complete, the court will then examine “whether there has been mismanagement at Nexperia and whether definitive measures need to be taken”
Nexperia confirmed that the measures ordered by the Enterprise Chamber in October 2025, including the suspension of former Nexperia CEO Zhang Xuezheng and the independent administration of voting rights on shares in Nexperia indirectly held by Wingtech will remain in place for the time being.
Interim CEO Stefan Tilger will continue to lead Nexperia, alongside chief operations officer Achim Kempe and chief legal officer Ruben Lichtenberg. Guido Dierick will continue as the company’s court-appointed non-executive director.
“Despite the challenging situation, our underlying business continues to be healthy and resilient and we remain committed to being a strong, reliable partner for all our stakeholders including customers,”Nexperia said in a forward-looking statement. “As we look ahead, and as confirmed by today's Enterprise Chamber Ruling, the current situation now primarily asks for Nexperia to further stabilise its supply chain and ensure meeting customer demand worldwide.”
