Belgium Detains Ex-Belgan Executive Over GaN Tech Transfer
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Belgian prosecutors say a 52-year-old man with dual Chinese and Belgian nationality was arrested in May at an airport before he could board a flight to Beijing, and he is now being held in pre-trial detention over suspected semiconductor espionage. The suspect lived in Belgium and had previously held a senior position at Belgan, a local chip manufacturer focused on gallium nitride, or GaN, semiconductors. Prosecutors allege he illegally transferred specialized intellectual property and trade secrets related to GaN chip production to a foreign destination. A second suspect is also being sought in the same case, while the Chinese embassy in Belgium had not commented, according to Sing Tao
Key Points
- Prosecutors said the 52-year-old suspect, who holds Chinese and Belgian nationality, was arrested in May before boarding a Beijing-bound flight.
- He had settled in Belgium and previously served in a senior role at Belgan, a Belgian chipmaker specializing in gallium nitride semiconductors.
- Investigators suspect the illegal transfer of specialized intellectual property and commercial secrets tied to the production of GaN chips.
- Prosecutors believe he simultaneously served as a director of a Chinese company making similar chips while working at Belgan.
- The Chinese company was funded by a Chinese investment fund and was established only months after he joined Belgan; another suspect remains at large.
Why It Matters
GaN semiconductors are described as usable in electric vehicles, aerospace and military applications, making alleged leaks of production know-how especially sensitive beyond ordinary commercial disputes. For Hong Kong readers following supply-chain and technology controls, the case shows how chip expertise, corporate roles and cross-border capital links can become entangled in national-security scrutiny.