NXP Semiconductors N.V. is a Dutch semiconductor manufacturing and design company with headquarters in Eindhoven, Netherlands. It is the second-largest European semiconductor design and manufacturing company by market capitalization as of 2024. The company employs approximately 34,000 people in more than 30 countries and it reported revenues of $12.61 billion in 2024. The company's name is an abbreviation of Next eXPerience. NXP customers include Apple, Dell, Ericsson and Samsung.
The company's origins date back to the 1950s as part of the electronics company Philips, which had been an early participant in the European semiconductor market. In 1987, Philips had become the largest semiconductor manufacturer in Europe, and one of the world's largest semiconductor companies by the end of the 20th century. During 2006, Phillips Semiconductors was spun-off from Philips via an arrangement with a consortium of private equity investors. Adopting the name NXP, the firm completed an initial public offering in 2010, its shares being traded on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "NXPI". NXP co-invented near field communication (NFC) technology.
On 23 December 2013, NXP Semiconductors was added to the Nasdaq-100 index. In March 2015, a merger agreement was announced between NXP and Freescale Semiconductor. One year later, NXP initiated the divestment of its Nexperia subsidiary. During 2019, NXP acquired the wireless connectivity assets of Marvell Technology. In 2021, NXP was added to the S&P 500 stock index.
Contents
History
Within Philips
In 1953, the Dutch technology company Philips started a small scale production facility in the center of the city of Nijmegen as part of its main industry group "Icoma" (Industrial Components and Materials). By the early 1950s, it had acquired a strong position in the European semiconductor market. However, by the end of the decade, this lead had been effectively lost to other companies across increasingly competitive transistor market, compelling Phillip's management team to adopt a new strategy. Changes in its R&D and manufacturing capabilities soon enabled the company to deliver point-contact and layer transistors to the market as well as to develop its own high-frequency transistor.
By the early 1960s, Philips' capacity to innovate in the field of applications as well as adapt transistor requirements to suit customer needs had been hampered by its organizational structure. In 1965, Icoma became part of a new Philips main industry group "Elcoma" (Electronic Components and Materials). In 1975, Silicon Valley–based Signetics was acquired by Philips. Signetics claimed to be the "first company in the world established expressly to make and sell integrated circuits" and inventor of the 555 timer IC. At the time, it was claimed that through the Signetics acquisition, Philips had become the second largest semiconductor manufacturer in the world.
In 1987, Philips became Europe's largest semiconductor manufacturer. One year later, all of Philips semiconductor subsidiaries, including Signetics, Faselec (in Switzerland) and Mullard (in the UK), were merged in the newly formed product division Components. In 1991, the semiconductor activities were split off from Components under the name Philips Semiconductors. In 1992, Philips and Motorola established the Semiconductor Miniature Products factory in Seremban, Malaysia, as a joint venture.
In June 1999, Philips acquired VLSI Technology in exchange for $1 billion; this transaction resulted in Philips becoming the world's sixth largest semiconductor company.
Independent company
In December 2005, Philips announced its intention to spin-off Philips Semiconductors into an independent legal entity. In September 2006, Philips completed the sale of an 80.1 percent stake in Philips Semiconductors to a consortium of private equity investors consisting of KKR, Bain Capital, Silver Lake Partners, Apax Partners and AlpInvest Partners. The new company name NXP (from Next eXPerience) was announced on 31 August 2006, and the company was officially launched during the Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA) consumer electronics show in Berlin. The newly independent NXP was ranked as one of the world's top 10 semiconductor companies.
In February 2007, NXP announced that it would acquire Silicon Laboratories’ AeroFONE single-chip phone and power amplifier product lines to strengthen its Mobile and Personal business in exchange for $285 million in cash. The next year, NXP announced that it would transform its Mobile and Personal business unit into a joint venture with STMicroelectronics; in 2009, following ST's purchase of NXP's 20 percent stake, this business unit became ST-Ericsson, which was itself a 50/50 joint venture of Ericsson Mobile Platforms and STMicroelectronics. In April 2008, NXP announced it would acquire the set-top box business of Conexant to complement its existing Home business unit. In September 2008, NXP announced that it would restructure its manufacturing, R&D and back office operations, resulting in 4,500 job cuts worldwide. In October 2009, NXP announced that it would sell its Home business unit to Trident Microsystems.
NXP was the co-inventor of near field communication (NFC) technology, along with Sony and Inside Secure, and had supplied NFC chip sets that enables mobile phones to be used to pay for goods, and store and exchange data securely. NXP manufactures such chips for eGovernment applications such as electronic passports; RFID tags and labels; and transport and access management, with the chip set and contactless card for MIFARE used by many major public transit systems worldwide.
On 26 July 2010, NXP announced the acquisition of the British RF specialist Jennic. One month late, NXP announced its initial public offering on the Nasdaq, which involved 34 million shares priced at $14 each. In December 2010, NXP announced that the pending sale of its Sound Solutions business to Knowles Electronics, part of Dover Corporation, for $855 million in cash.
Leadership
NXP's first CEO was Frans van Houten; he was succeeded by Richard L. Clemmer on 1 January 2009. From May 2020 until 2025, Kurt Sievers served as president and CEO. Rafael Sotomayor took over as president in April 2025, and then as CEO in October 2025.
Worldwide sites
NXP Semiconductors is headquartered in Eindhoven, Netherlands, and has numerous international locations.
Wafer fabs
Chandler, Arizona, United States
Austin, Texas, United States
Nijmegen, Netherlands
Singapore (SSMC)
R&D
Eindhoven (HQ)
Nijmegen
San Jose, California
Austin, Texas
Chandler, Arizona
San Diego
Novi, Michigan
Kanata, Ontario
Gratkorn
Milan
Catania
Leuven
Delft
Brno
Rožnov pod Radhoštěm
Bucharest
Caen
Mougins
Toulouse
Grenoble
Sophia Antipolis
Dresden
Hamburg
Munich
Southampton
Glasgow
Yokneam Illit
Bengaluru
Pune
Hyderabad
Noida
Test and assembly
Bangkok, Thailand
Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
Tianjin, China
Sales
San Jose, California
San Diego
Novi, Michigan
Irvine, California
Woburn, Massachusetts
Guadalajara
Kanata, Ontario
Beijing
Hong Kong
Tokyo
Singapore
Seoul
Paris
Sindelfingen
Joint ventures
VSMC
European Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (ESMC)
Systems on Silicon Manufacturing Company (SSMC) Pte. Ltd. (61%)
Datang NXP Semiconductors Co., Ltd. (49%)
Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (27%)
Cohda Wireless Pty Ltd. (23%)
Controversies
In March 2013, NXP locked out workers at its plant in Bangkok, Thailand, due to stalled negotiations over a new work schedule with their trade union, which was affiliated with the Confederation of Thai Electrical Appliances, Electronic Automobile & Metalworkers (TEAM). Management then called in small groups of workers, asked them if they agreed with the union's demands, and told them to leave if they did. They were not able to enter the factory the next day. In response, TEAM staged protests outside the factory and on March 13 outside the Dutch embassy and also filed a complaint with the National Human Right Commission. On April 29, mediation by the Ministry of Labour led to the signing of a memorandum that passed the decision over the work schedule to the Labour Relations Committee. The committee decided on June 20 that the new work schedule did not violate Thai labour law; however, the National Human Rights Committee decided otherwise and recommended the factory should revert to the old schedule. NXP continues to demand regular 12-hour shifts.
In May 2014, the company fired 24 workers at its plant in the special economic zone in Cabuyao, The Philippines. The workers were all officials of a trade union affiliated with the Metal Workers Alliance of the Philippines (MWAP). Reports said they were fired due to their union functions in negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement. Factory owners claimed the workers were fired after refusing to work on 9 April, while workers said they had not been paid for two months. IndustriALL and its affiliated unions in the Philippines condemned the dismissals. In September, MWAP and NXP reached an agreement by which 12 of the fired workers were reinstated and the other 12 received separation packages. NXP also committed itself to a long-term wage increase. In the summer of 2015, a member of the Dutch parliament questioned trade minister Lilianne Ploumen regarding NXP's behaviour.