ASML makes the most advanced machine in the world; the lithography machine to make computer chips. And with chips as a strategic asset, ASML and its machine are at the center of the world geo-political stage. What is ASML's secret, and who are the people who build this wondrous machine?

VPRO Backlight gained access to the ins and outs of the high-tech company and followed a number of employees. Due to the high demand for chips, chip manufacturers are expanding rapidly. ASML also has to scale up at the same pace. The company hires a hundred new employees every week and tries to attract technical talent from all over the world to Veldhoven.

At the same time, ASML has become a geopolitical plaything, due to the global shortage of chips and the dominance that chip production entails. How is this outside pressure having an impact inside ASML's walls?