The Italian helmed the company from its creation until 2005, and in 2003 became one of Singapore’s first honorary citizens
[SINGAPORE] Semiconductor pioneer Pasquale Pistorio, the former long-time chief of European chipmaker STMicroelectronics, has died at age 89.
Italian news outlets reported that he died in Milan on Sep 26.
He was a global microelectronics industry leader. In 1987, he orchestrated the merger of SGS Group – Italy’s only microelectronics company at the time – and the semiconductor arm of Thomson, a French electronics firm, to create SGS-Thomson Microelectronics. It later became STMicroelectronics.
Under his leadership, STMicroelectronics grew to be a top semiconductor manufacturer, ranking third worldwide with close to US$9 billion in sales by 2005, when he retired as chief executive officer and became honorary chairman.
For his contributions to Singapore’s semiconductor and manufacturing sectors, he was conferred the Honorary Citizen Award in 2003, the highest national recognition for non-Singaporeans. He was awarded alongside Dr Sydney Brenner, a distinguished research professor.
In 2019, then-deputy prime minister Heng Swee Keat noted that Pistorio was a champion of the Republic’s semiconductor industry, and that his vision was instrumental in making Singapore a key location for wafer fabrication.
SEE ALSO
STMicroelectronics has had a partnership with Singapore for over five decades. In 1969, it set up operations in the city-state, where it has four facilities and more than 5,000 employees.
Bertrand Stoltz, the company’s executive vice-president for corporate finance and Asia public affairs, and Singapore managing director, said: “(Pistorio) was instrumental in establishing and growing the vital semiconductor industry in Singapore. All of us at STMicroelectronics are deeply grateful for his contributions. His legacy will continue to inspire us.”
