Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1319500
58 PCB007 MAGAZINE I DECEMBER 2020 just finalizing, but it's something that I'm con- cerned about. Johnson: The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) legislation, currently in the Senate and the House, contains provisions requiring an increase in U.S. PCB manufacturing. But to do that DoD work, fabricators will have to in- vest in cybersecurity. Whiteside: That's correct. There are some ini- tiatives in the proposed NDAA that will ben- efit the domestic PCB industry. It's in recon- ciliation as we speak, so we'll have to wait to see what the final language is. When it does come out, it is expected to be favorable to fu- ture business conditions in the North Ameri- can and allied countries' PCB markets. From that standpoint, it will be favorable, but I ac- knowledge your point that investing in cyber- security will be required. Johnson: Putting on your IPC board hat for a moment, what's the role that IPC can play in helping these smaller or less well-capitalized PCB companies stay in business through this transition? How do you encourage them and help them? Whiteside: IPC has done a great job in advoca- cy here, especially in recent years, represent- ing the whole of industry on Capitol Hill. They are very responsive to their membership. They represent us well, and the voice of the indus- try is very well articulated by IPC on Capitol Hill. Johnson: One of the things that IPC is working on is workforce development, which is a crit- ical issue for us in manufacturing in general and the electronics industry in particular. From your perspective, how are the workforce devel- opment initiatives through IPC proceeding? Whiteside: They're going well. As you said, it's a much-needed initiative. And IPC is very pro- active in trying to address the need to develop the next generation of 21 st -century workers for all of the segments of the electronics supply chain that they represent, and IPC's Board of Directors has been very supportive in their ef- forts. Summit is engaged in several areas of this initiative. We have donated to the IPC Educa- tion Foundation, we participate in the emerg- ing engineer program, and we have committed to sponsor two student chapters at universities in California. I think that while we appreciate the vast knowledge and experience that resides in this industry, we also see that much of this knowl- edge is going to retire over the next few years. And it's really incumbent on all of us not to Summit's Orange, California office.