In a notable ruling, a former engineer has been sentenced to three years in prison by a Rotterdam court for leaking sensitive semiconductor technology to Russia. The engineer, Aksenov, a German national aged 43, previously worked at ASML and NXP, two major players in the tech industry.
Investigations revealed that Aksenov illegally transferred confidential design files and production-line documentation from company servers onto USB drives and external hard disks, all of which were later found in his possession. He shared these critical manufacturing details with a Russian contact, which prosecutors believe ultimately reached the FSB intelligence service.
ASML is renowned as the exclusive supplier of extreme-ultraviolet lithography equipment—a key component in the production of cutting-edge chips. NXP, on the other hand, is famed for its role in the creation of near-field communication technology. Due to their significant contributions to both civilian and military electronics, they are prime targets for industrial espionage.
Although prosecutors initially pushed for a four-year sentence, the court settled on a reduced term since there was no evidence that Aksenov was financially rewarded for his actions. During the proceedings, Aksenov contended that he kept the files merely to “maintain professional knowledge,” but the court rejected this defense. They emphasized the breach of European Union sanctions that were introduced in 2014, which prohibit the sharing of technical assistance or restricted technologies with Russian entities. The court’s decision underscores the serious nature of such violations and the importance of safeguarding intellectual property in the technology sector.
