June 18th 2021 Frits van Hout joins supervisory board SMART Photonics

Frits van Hout, the former board member of ASML, will join the supervisory board of our company. SMART Photonics is very pleased and honored with the addition of Frits van Hout and his knowledge of the industry and expansive network. In the supervisory board he is welcomed by the current members Nard Sintenie (Innovation Industries) and Rutger Wijburg (Infineon).

“We are very pleased that Frits van Hout brings his vast experience in working in the semiconductor industry to SMART Photonics to help us build a globally leading photonics foundry”, CEO Johan Feenstra says. “His involvement is also a recognition of the importance of integrated photonics for the Dutch economy and the critical role of SMART Photonics within this ecosystem.”

Frits van Hout states: “SMART Photonics reminds me of ASML in its early days: ambitious ideas, promising technology and people with a strong drive and a passion for their industry. I am looking forward to supporting SMART Photonics with my own experiences in semiconductors, a field closely related to integrated photonics”.

Frits van Hout joined ASML in 1984 through 1992. From 1998 to 2001 he served as CEO of the Beyeler Group, based in the Netherlands and Germany, where he was responsible for its restructuring and regaining profitability.

In early 2001 he returned to ASML as Vice President Customer Support and was appointed to the Board of Management in 2009, where he initially served as Executive Vice President Marketing, Sales & Service. In 2013, he assumed responsibility for the EUV business, until it was adopted by major customers in their high-volume lines. In 2018, he was appointed Chief Strategy Officer and continued to be a Board member until earlier this year.

With the capabilities of Van Hout, SMART Photonics makes another important step towards becoming the leading foundry for integrated photonics.

Photo credits @ASML