Governments Struggling With ‘Silicon-to-Systems Approach’
June 11, 2024 | Chris Mitchell, IPC Vice President of Global Government RelationsEstimated reading time: 1 minute

What do you do when you don’t know what to do? That is the conundrum facing U.S. government officials overseeing billions of dollars in strategic investments in the domestic microelectronics industry. Enormous grants are beginning to flow to the chips sector, and after years of IPC advocacy and education efforts, policymakers have gained a clearer picture of the rest of the electronics supply chain, including everything chips depend on to function.
But knowing what to do in a chips-centric world is proving more difficult than expected. In this interview, Chris Mitchell, IPC VP of global government relations, explains the range of challenges facing policymakers in the United States, Europe, and beyond, and IPC’s policy agenda to tackle them.
Over the past several years, IPC has worked to persuade government policymakers to support the entire electronics supply chain, not just semiconductor chips. How is that going?
Chris Mitchell: In response to the COVID pandemic and geopolitical tensions in East Asia, many people thought there would be fundamental changes in how the United States sources electronics. Indeed, we have seen growth domestically in electronics manufacturing and even greater increases in Mexico and in U.S.-friendly countries in Southeast Asia and South Asia.
But for all the concern about industrial resiliency and national security, the underlying realities of the global supply chain haven’t really changed. Asia continues to have some of the most advanced electronics manufacturing capabilities with abundant capacity and access to well-priced base materials. This makes Asia a prime destination for investment in new manufacturing facilities.
The key question for U.S. policymakers and the industry is which electronics technologies and systems should be manufactured in the U.S. given their strategic importance to national security, economic competitiveness, and/or technological leadership? What kind of investments are necessary to ensure such capabilities and capacities are put in place?
The question is not moot, and it is not a matter for tomorrow. Today, the U.S. is equipping its men and women in uniform with less than the very best technologies because key segments of the electronics manufacturing sector do not have the manufacturing capabilities that are state-of-the-practice in Asia.
To read the entire article, which appeared in the June 2024 SMT007 Magazine, click here.
Suggested Items
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2025: IPC's Growth and Future in India's Manufacturing Sector
04/23/2025 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOGaurab Majumdar, VP for IPC in SE Asia and India, highlights IPC's impressive growth in India, with certification numbers rising significantly. The Indian manufacturing sector is projected to reach a $300 billion market, alongside a $10 billion investment in semiconductors. IPC is addressing industry demands through standards development and a new workforce project aimed at training students for job placements.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2025: DuPont Electronics Materials and Innovations
04/23/2025 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPODuPont is many things to many markets, but DuPont Electronics Materials is, perhaps, a bit out of the DuPont "norm," developing specialized electronic materials that are particularly focused on challenging areas such as flex circuits, high power PCBs and products that must withstand harsh environments. At IPC APEX EXPO, Marcy LaRont sat down with Shannon Dugan from DuPont Electronics Materials to discuss some big news. They are being spun off into an independent entity with a new CEO having just been announced as the show wrapped.
SERMA Microelectronics Expand its Facilities in La Rochelle
04/22/2025 | SERMA MicroelectronicsSERMA Microelectronics, a major player in specialized microelectronics, continues its growth with the acquisition of a building adjacent to its current site in La Rochelle.
UHDI Fundamentals: UHDI Drives Unique IoT Innovation in Farming
04/22/2025 | Anaya Vardya, American Standard CircuitsThe combination of UHDI's high-bandwidth capabilities and IoT's real-time data processing can lead to more efficient, immersive, and smarter IoT systems. This convergence of two revolutionary technologies is enabling quantum advancements in some very “unconventional” applications. The typical discussions around UHDI focus on our standard electronics industry market segments like milaero, medical, consumer electronics, etc. IoT is all about machines talking to other machines, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, but again, typically applied in our PCB and assembly operations.
Navigating Change, Mitigating Risk: We’ve Been Here Before
04/22/2025 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineI visited with Tom Edman, president and CEO of TTM Technologies, and chair of the IPC Board of Directors. Tom candidly shares his insights into the implications of changes on the defense sector and the broader electronics manufacturing industry, especially concerning PCB manufacturing. With half of TTM’s business tied to defense, Tom discusses the potential opportunities and challenges arising from government initiatives, tariffs, and supply chain complexities.