Source: European Investment Bank
With a background in physics and fluid mechanics, Dirkzwager spent almost a decade in central engineering at Philips in the Netherlands, before moving to Hong Kong, where he was inspired by the city’s entrepreneurial energy and eagerness to grow.
“The approach was all about trial and error,” he says. “Trying things quickly, seeing what worked and moving on to the next idea.” NXP Semiconductors was born with this mindset, as a spinoff from Philips’s semiconductor division in 2006. “That’s when we shifted our focus to customers beyond Philips, serving the global market,” says Dirkzwager. “It was an exciting, hectic time.”
According to a McKinsey study, the global market for semiconductors could reach more than $1 trillion by 2030, up from $600 billion in 2021.
Today, more than half of NXP’s chip design, manufacturing and distribution serves the automotive market. About 25% goes to industrial and Internet of Things customers, and 17% to the mobile sector, including smartphones and tablets.
NXP’s research and development in chips for the automotive sector will be ready to be used in the market in about five years, and the work on post-quantum encryption will be ready for the market in 10 to 20 years. The semiconductor industry’s focus on the future ties in well with the long-term investment preference of the European Investment Bank, making the loan a good fit for both parties.
“The Bank was fast, efficient and competitive,” Dirkzwager says. “It’s a good feeling.”