Belgium’s federal prosecutor’s office has held a 52-year-old man with dual Chinese and Belgian nationality in pretrial detention since May over an alleged espionage case involving gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor technology. The suspect held a senior position at BelGaN, a Belgian chipmaker that went bankrupt in 2024, and is accused of illegally transferring intellectual property and trade secrets to a Chinese company in the same sector.
The Belgian semiconductor espionage case in 30 seconds
- The detainee held a senior position at BelGaN, a company specializing in gallium nitride semiconductors.
- Prosecutors suspect he simultaneously ran a Chinese company working on similar technology.
- The investigation is examining the possible illegal transfer of intellectual property and trade secrets.
- He was arrested in May as he was preparing to fly to Beijing from Zaventem Airport.
- A second suspect remains at large.
The case involves a technology with both civilian and strategic applications. GaN semiconductors can handle high frequencies, temperatures, and power levels, and they are used in fields ranging from electric vehicles and chargers to aerospace systems, radar, and certain military applications.
The investigation is still ongoing, and the allegations do not amount to a conviction. The suspect remains in custody, and a second person under investigation is still being sought by authorities. China’s embassy in Belgium had not commented by the time the case became public.
A BelGaN executive and a Chinese company in the same sector
The investigation focuses on the period when the detainee worked for BelGaN, a company based in Oudenaarde, in East Flanders, that was shifting its business from traditional silicon semiconductors to gallium nitride-based components.
According to Belgian prosecutors, the man is believed to have simultaneously held an executive position at a Chinese company working on the same type of technology.
The timeline is one of the elements authorities are investigating: that Chinese company is believed to have been set up just months after the suspect joined BelGaN, and to have received funding from a Chinese investment fund.
Prosecutors suspect that from that position, he may have transferred abroad specialized intellectual property and trade secrets related to BelGaN’s GaN chip production processes.
Beyond the possible espionage, authorities are also investigating alleged offenses related to participation in a criminal organization, misuse of company assets, and illegal disclosure of trade secrets.
| Item | Known details |
|---|---|
| Company affected | BelGaN |
| Technology | Gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors |
| Suspect’s age | 52 |
| Nationality | Chinese and Belgian |
| Arrest | May 2026 |
| Location | Zaventem Airport, Brussels |
| Intended destination | Beijing |
| Status | Pretrial detention |
| Second suspect | At large |
The man lives in Belgium and was arrested as he was preparing to board a flight to Beijing. The arrest took place months before the investigation became public in September.
Authorities have also seized devices and data as part of the investigation. No public details have been given so far on exactly what documentation was allegedly transferred, what its economic value might have been, or to what extent the Chinese company actually used it.
Why GaN technology carries strategic value
The case takes on added weight because of the type of semiconductor involved.
Gallium nitride belongs to the wide-bandgap semiconductor family. Compared with conventional silicon, its properties allow certain components to operate more efficiently at high frequencies, voltages, and temperatures.
It doesn’t replace silicon in every use case, but it offers significant advantages in power electronics and radio frequency applications.
In the civilian market, it can be found in compact high-power chargers, power supplies for data centers, telecommunications, and electric vehicle power systems.
In the aerospace and defense sectors, it is used in radar, communications, and radio frequency systems.
BelGaN was trying to build its future precisely around this technology.
The Oudenaarde plant has decades of history. The facility started out as Mietec and later passed through different owners. BelGaN took shape after acquiring the manufacturing and R&D operations that Onsemi ran at the site in 2022.
The company then began a transition from conventional silicon chips toward GaN technologies.
But the process required substantial investment, and additional funding never arrived.
BelGaN filed for bankruptcy on July 30, 2024. At the time, the company employed around 440 people. It stated that it had been unable to secure enough funding to complete its technological transformation.
The situation ended with the company’s liquidation after no viable acquisition offer emerged.
Bankruptcy administrators received three proposals, one European and two from outside the European Union, but none met the conditions needed to keep operations running. The assets were then valued at around €50 million for liquidation purposes.
Intellectual property was one of the especially sensitive assets. When liquidation began, questions were already being raised about what would happen to the specialized know-how the company had developed.
The case renews focus on Europe’s tech protection efforts
The legal proceedings come at a time when Europe is trying to boost its semiconductor self-sufficiency while protecting technologies it considers strategic.
The BelGaN case is especially sensitive because its bankruptcy cost Belgium its only industrial chip manufacturing facility in the country.
It is not the only recent case putting chip intellectual property under judicial scrutiny in Asia: Taiwanese prosecutors have pursued a separate 2nm technology leak case involving former TSMC employees, who face up to 14 years in prison.
That doesn’t mean Belgium no longer has significant semiconductor companies or research centers. The country still holds a strong position in design and research, but BelGaN’s disappearance closed down an industrial capability that will be hard to replace.
The investigation also raises an issue that goes beyond blocking exports of advanced equipment.
The knowledge needed to manufacture a semiconductor also lives in processes, manufacturing recipes, parameters, designs, technical documentation, and the accumulated experience of engineers and research teams.
A tech-protection policy that only controls the sale of machinery may fall short if critical intellectual property can be moved through documents or staff with privileged access.
At the same time, caution is warranted about this specific case. Belgian authorities are talking about suspicions and alleged offenses under investigation. It will still need to be determined in court exactly what information left BelGaN, who was involved, where that data ended up, and whether the conduct under investigation constitutes espionage or other crimes.
BelGaN’s bankruptcy adds another dimension. The company was developing a technology that European institutions consider strategic, but it couldn’t raise the capital needed to complete its industrial transition. The European Parliament later noted that BelGaN had suffered losses and rising energy, chemical, and labor costs before shutting down in 2024.
If the alleged theft of its technology is ultimately proven, it would point to a particularly uncomfortable paradox for Europe: losing its own manufacturing capacity while at the same time risking that part of the knowledge built around it ends up outside the European Union.
Frequently asked questions
What is Belgium investigating in the BelGaN case?
Prosecutors are investigating the possible illegal transfer to China of intellectual property and trade secrets related to the manufacturing of gallium nitride semiconductors developed by BelGaN.
Who has been detained over the alleged chip espionage?
A 52-year-old man with dual Chinese and Belgian nationality who held a senior position at BelGaN. Authorities have not officially released his full identity.
What are gallium nitride chips used for?
GaN semiconductors are used in power electronics and radio frequency applications, including chargers, electric vehicles, data centers, telecommunications, aerospace, radar, and certain military systems.
What happened to BelGaN?
The company filed for bankruptcy in July 2024 after failing to secure enough funding to complete its transition to GaN technology. It was later ruled out for a restart after no viable purchase offer was received.
via: asia.nikkei