Tweakers · Technologie

Former executive of bankrupt chip company suspected of espionage for China

A former executive of the bankrupt Belgian chip company BelGaN is suspected of funneling trade secrets to China. The 52-year-old man, of Belgian-Chinese nationality, was arrested on May 10 as he attempted to fly to Beijing.

The man headed BelGaN's research department and is accused of unlawfully sharing trade secrets, membership in a criminal organization, misuse of company assets, and bankruptcy offenses. Although the court also suspects him of espionage, his lawyer denies this, stating that there was no transfer to a foreign state.

BelGaN went bankrupt in 2024 after financial problems due to the switch to gallium nitride chips. The company was acquired in 2021 by investment funds from Hong Kong. According to Belgian authorities, the Chinese owners were primarily interested in the technology to export it to China, a strategy previously flagged by European security services.

Shortly after joining BelGaN, the suspect took up a management position at the Chinese company Gankool, which developed the same technology. There are indications that BelGaN's intellectual property was funneled to Gankool.

The Belgian judiciary is also searching for the last CEO of BelGaN, Alan Zhen Zhou, who is also said to have been involved with Gankool. Neither Zhou nor Gankool have responded to the reports.

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