ASML, the company that makes the machines that make the chips that power basically everything, is cranking up production. CEO Christophe Fouquet announced during the company’s Q1 2026 earnings call on April 15 that ASML will boost its Low-NA EUV lithography system capacity by roughly 30% for 2027, targeting at least 80 units and possibly as many as 85.
For context, the company shipped 44 of these systems in 2025 and is aiming for around 60 to 65 in 2026. So we’re looking at a trajectory that could see output nearly double in just two years. The reason is exactly what you’d guess: AI won’t stop being hungry for chips.
Why this matters beyond the semiconductor world
Here’s the thing about ASML. It occupies one of the most extreme monopoly positions in the global economy. It is the only company on Earth that makes EUV lithography machines, the tools required to print the most advanced semiconductor chips. Every cutting-edge processor from TSMC, Intel, and Samsung runs through ASML’s equipment first.
That supply chain chokepoint has been a growing concern as hyperscalers like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon pour tens of billions into data center construction. The capacity ramp announced by Fouquet is a direct response to that pressure, an attempt to ensure EUV tools don’t become the limiting factor in a semiconductor expansion cycle driven by AI demand.
