Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1456062
32 SMT007 MAGAZINE I MARCH 2022 tively," he says. "A major- ity of the semiconductor market is supplied by three U.S.-friendly trade partners: Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. While it may be in the best interests of the U.S. to bolster capacity in semiconductors, O'Neil says it has an adverse effect. "Meanwhile, the U.S. share of the PCB market has dropped from more than 30% to just 4% since 2000. China now dominates that market, supplying close to 50% of the global total. A loss of access to Chinese PCB production would cripple U.S. manufacturing, as computers, telecommuni- cations networks, medical equipment, aero- space, cars and trucks, and other industries are already dependent on Chinese electronics suppliers. is, on top of the packaging gap, paints a stark picture. Elsewhere in the report, O'Neil says that the entire capacity of U.S PCB man- ufacturing wouldn't be enough to satisfy the U.S. demand for Apple iPhones, let alone all the rest of our electronics. e semiconductors are not the real problem. Is It Too Late to Stage a Comeback? So, recognizing this problem, industry lead- ers question whether the PCB manufactur- ing sector can regain its position in the market that it once had. Ultimately, rebuilding capac- ity and capability will require strategic invest- ment programs. Carano's report speaks to that need directly. Interestingly, most executives today are looking for significant government funds to maintain and enhance their companies' com- petitiveness on the global stage," Carano says. "While this may be viable for some of the larg- est companies, the smaller enabling firms that are critical to the supply chain are oen le out of the discussion. Cer- tainly, the behemoth firms in the semiconductor and medical industries feel they can go it alone if only there were enough cash and tax breaks forthcoming. e arguments put forth are in the vein of national security, job creation, and technologi- cal leadership, and they have their merits." H e w o n d e r s w h e t h e r taxpayer funds could be deployed in other ways to spur innovation and employ- ment growth. Perhaps addi- tional investments in workforce training and skills development will help close the gap and provide the necessary impetus for technology firms to innovate and compete successfully with the low-cost locales, Carano says. And with all this said, how can smaller firms lever- age their respective techniques and know-how through collaboration? ese concerns have not gone unnoticed by U.S. fabricators. In a February PCB007 Maga- zine interview with Barry Matties, Calumet's Todd Brassard and Meredith LaBeau address their lobbying efforts through the newly- formed PCBAA. Brassard said, "e U.S. government will very likely be required to bootstrap U.S. PCB and substrate manufacturers at a cost some- where between $1-3 billion in funding to help close the gap with Asia. e real question is, when will the U.S. government and Depart- ment of Defense figure this out and start look- ing at the entire electronics ecosystem and not just the chips? Matties stated that the PCBAA is driving some of this awareness in Washington and asked whether Calumet is part of that impetus. "Yes, we are a founding member of the PCBAA which is a new association laser- focused on rebuilding the PCB industry in Michael Carano