Moov launches EU expansion
Moov, a company operating a marketplace for used semiconductor equipment, has hired Eric Tribolet as Director of European Sales, to help the company expand its presence in European markets.
A 25-year semiconductor industry veteran, Tribolet spent the last decade developing an expertise in chemicals used in front-end semiconductor processes, working with clients that include European semiconductor manufacturers. Most recently, Tribolet held the position of Global Business Director Europe for CMC Materials (which was acquired by Entegris).
“We are excited to welcome Eric to Moov as we expand our presence in European markets,” said Moov CEO and cofounder Steven Zhou, in a press release. “Eric’s wealth of experience working with top European semiconductor manufacturers and his technical expertise in process and analytical equipment will be an asset to Moov and our customers as we help shape the future of European semiconductor manufacturing by enabling more economically and environmentally sustainable capital equipment investment.”
Over the course of his two-and-a-half decades in the semiconductor industry, Tribolet held various sales and marketing management positions at Ashland Electronic Chemicals Division, Air Products and Chemicals, KMG, and Cabot Microelectronics.
“I look forward to expanding these relationships at Moov by bringing European fabs a better solution for sourcing and disposing of both front and back-end equipment. As Europe strives to grow its share of global semiconductor manufacturing capacity, a solution like Moov, which allows fabs to more nimbly scale capacity and recoup capital on underutilized assets, is more critical than ever,” says Tribolet.
The EU Chips Act, passed in July, 2023, allocates EUR 43 billion in public and private investment to double the EU’s global market share in semiconductors, from 10% now to at least 20% by 2030.
Leading global semiconductor manufacturers are advancing plans to expand their manufacturing footprint in the EU. TSMC will break ground this year on a EUR 10 billion plant in Dresden, Germany; GlobalFoundries and Amkor kicked off their partnership to enable a “comprehensive EU supply chain” opening a facility in Porto, Portugal in January of this year; and Intel has announced plans to spend EUR 30 billion on two fabs in Magdeburg.
To better serve manufacturers looking to ramp up capacity in the EU, Moov has plans to increase its headcount in Europe in 2024.
According to Zhou, Moov has already seen substantial interest from European manufacturers in the company's new equipment management software – which was announced in January – as part of the broader platform Moov offers to help chipmakers maximise returns on capital equipment.
“As chipmakers look for ways to cost effectively expand their manufacturing footprint in Europe, it will be crucial for them to have an ecosystem of supply chain partners, like Moov, that can help them scale up (or down) capacity quickly,” Zhou says and continues. “And, with Europe’s increased focus on environmental sustainability across all sectors, the concept of a more circular manufacturing equipment economy – which Moov enables – is a natural fit for this market.”
