Hochul and Dutch minister announce high-tech partnership during royal visit

New York garnered some royal attention as the state is set to become the semi-conductor hub for the U.S.

The Capital Region hosted King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands on Wednesday as they learned more about the state’s future in chip manufacturing.

They took part in a ceremony and tour of the NY CREATES NanoTech Complex, a semiconductor hub, and met with a Dutch business delegation with people from the semiconductor and photonics industry.

“These invisible chips power everything from the cell phone in your pocket to the car in your driveway to the refrigerator in your kitchen. We have a deep belief that our state and the Netherlands can really power the future,” said Gov. Kathy Hochul, who welcomed the royal couple to Albany.

She said the visit provided an opportunity to collaborate with the Dutch on semiconductor research and development.

According to the Royal House of the Netherlands, the U.S. is the country’s biggest non-EU partner for economic and security cooperation, and New York state is a key trade and investment partner. The king said in New York, trade and investment relations account for 57,000 jobs. 

“But our relationship is about much more than the economy. We’re also partners in the search for solutions to the great challenge of our time, from climate change to the energy transition to affordable health care for all,” the king said.

During the visit, Hochul and Netherlands Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Liesje Schreinemacher signed a memo of understanding announcing a partnership to promote sustainability in the semiconductor industry, enhance joint development opportunities and advance research and development.

Hochul said a new state program will sponsor the attendance of up to five SUNY students at the Eindhoven Semiconductor Summer School program this summer in the Netherlands.

“This partnership with our Dutch counterparts will help to take New York’s chips transformation to the next level,” Hochul said.