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16 SMT007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2022 Conclusion My next column will discuss the key strategic tenets that should be considered and the spe- cific materials/minerals that should be deemed critical to a robust economy and an impecca- ble national security. I welcome your thoughts and input on the specific materials and min- erals that you and your company consider to be critical to your business, products, and ser- vices. Please feel free to contact me. SMT007 Dr. Jennie S. Hwang—an inter- national businesswoman and speaker and a business and technology advisor—is a pioneer and long-standing leader to SMT manufacturing since its inception as well as to the development and implementation of lead-free electronics technology. Among her many awards and honors, she was inducted to the International Hall of Fame–Women in Technology, elected to the National Academy of Engineering, named an R&D Star to Watch, and received a YWCA Achieve- ment Award. Having held senior executive posi- tions with Lockheed Martin Corp., Sherwin Williams Co., and SCM Corp., she was the CEO of Interna- tional Electronic Materials Corp. and is currently CEO of H-Technologies Group, providing business, technology, and manufacturing solutions. She has served on the board of Fortune-500 NYSE com- panies and civic and university boards; the Com- merce Department's Export Council; the National Materials and Manufacturing Board; the NIST Assessment Board; as the chairman of the Assess- ment Board of DoD Army Research Laboratory and the chairman of the Assessment Board of Army Engineering Centers; and various national panels/ committees and international leadership positions. She is the author of 600+ publications and several books and is a speaker and author on trade, busi- ness, education, and social issues. Her formal education includes four academic degrees, as well as the Harvard Business School Executive Program and Columbia University Corporate Governance Program. For more information, visit JennieHwang.com. To read past columns or contact Hwang, click here. the critical materials/minerals. It is a challeng- ing pursuit but can be done. e goal of a national strategy must embrace and cut across these multiple fronts to: • Define "criticality" for materials/ minerals that are critical to the nation's economy and security • Identify the elements that are the foundational component of critical materials/minerals • Verify the natural resources of the elements • Define the effective sources of critical materials/minerals • Ensure the secure availability of critical materials/minerals • Tackle on-going supply chain uncertainties • Build the key capabilities and infrastruc- ture of critical materials/minerals • Strike a balance between economy and environment • Anticipate future challenges related to critical elements • Identify actions and approaches that the government and the private sector can take to meet these goals It will take a global perspective, a holistic thought process, integrated information, and collaborative effort among the government, academia, and the industry to fulfill these goals and tackle the technologies, processes, and manufacturability relevant to the arena of crit- ical materials/minerals. For instance, in busi- ness operation and management, the long- term investment in critical materials/miner- als-related business may warrant deliberations and shed new light. In corporate governance, critical materials/minerals should be a board issue to be watched for in an enterprise risk management program. In government and academia, the funding requirements, struc- ture, and research priorities should be re-vis- ited, and actions taken accordingly.