September 8, 2023 /SemiMedia/ -- According to reports, British wafer manufacturer Newport Wafer Fab (NWF) is laying off 100 employees due to uncertainty about future ownership caused by acquisition restrictions.

In 2021, NWF was sold to Dutch chipmaker Nexperia for 63 million pounds ($79 million), but the deal was blocked by the government at the time because Nexperia was acquired by Chinese company Wingtech Technology.

Nexperia recently proposed laying off 100 employees, and a spokesman said it had to cancel the investment. “This was a business decision that was not taken lightly, but one we made to protect the future viability of the fab.”