Further proof that the return of semiconductor production to Europe is far from won.
Behind the declarations of the political class and the declared desire to reindustrialize Europe in order, in particular, to boost the semiconductor sector and get away from our almost total dependence on American/Asian solutions, there's the reality on the ground. And on this front, things are far less rosy. Of course, we can always mention the Dutch company ASML, without which even a giant like TSMC couldn't do much, but alongside this shining example of success, there is above all an admission of failure illustrated by the latest financial results from STMicroelectronics.
The Group is to reduce its workforce by 2,800 © STMicroelectronics
One of Europe's last "big" semiconductor manufacturers has just announced - as reported by Ici Touraine and confirmed by Le Figaro - sales for the first quarter of 2025 down 27% year-on-year to $2.5 billion. Even more embarrassing, operating income collapsed by 99% to barely $3 million. In fact, the Group's management has drawn up a plan designed to achieve savings of around 500 million euros a year from 2027: " It aims to strengthen our competitiveness, consolidate our position as world leader in the semiconductor market and ensure the long-term sustainability of our integrated manufacturing model ", explains STMicroelectronics.
A plan that does not, however, send a positive signal to this desire to rearm the European Union so that it is less dependent on its international partners in the world of semiconductors. For STMicroelectronics employees, the news is even worse, even if there is no question of redundancies. In fact, although the company uses the term "remodeling" and assures us that it is only a question of voluntary departures, it does explain that 2,800 jobs will be lost worldwide between now and 2027, including 1,000 in France out of a total workforce of 50,000. In France, STMicroelectronics still employs 11,500 people, including 7,500 at its two sites in Grenoble and Crolles in the Isère region. The other French employees are spread across sites in Tours, Rousset, Saint-Genis, Sophia Antipolis and Rennes.
