Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1456062
MARCH 2022 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 37 printed circuit board industry is brought along, and is able to continue to innovate. Addition- ally, you are able to do assembly here—not that it's an obligation, but that you have the capac- ity if you choose to. Johnson: at's where the supply chain resil- ience comes from, doesn't it? James: Yes, that's certainly part of it. Johnson: Why is the thinking in France so dif- ferent? James: I don't know what the origin of that is. It's just different countries, different thinking. France is much more about making sure you have what you need. Europe, generally, is very divided because Europe is very open to trade. It's also not this history of pumping in state subsidies into building up big industries. Rather, it's, "Let's make sure we have fair competition, that every- body can compete, that we don't have lots and lots of state subsidies that are not controlled." In one way, now there's this growing recog- nition which is relatively new in Europe, since COVID and in light of geopolitical tensions, you have to make sure you have what you need. I'll specify that in Europe, when they're talk- ing about that, they're also talking about indus- tries and technologies needed for the future that will help achieve what Europe calls its dual transition—the digital and the green transition. at's why Europe also recognizes semicon- ductors as being very important to increased energy efficiency, and contributing to digitaliz- ing and greening of all industries and to strate- gic technologies. Even when they are shoring up industries, it's what's strategic and what will help achieve that dual transition. But even that is relatively new in the last couple years, crys- tallized by the pandemic in many ways. Now you're starting to see, "Where are our strate- gic dependencies? What is it that we need, and how can we bring what is necessary back into Europe or build it up?" It's not just government money, though. e approach here is public/private—the industry, government, and external stakeholders work- ing together. It will always be mixed with the messaging around openness to trade. It's not, "We're going to do everything on our own, be isolated and self-sufficient." Rather, it's, "Where do we need to make sure that we have access to what we need for our strategic indus- tries?" at's the approach. I don't know the historical reasons, but France leans more into re-industrialization, premised on the idea that the country has lost far too much of its industrial base and needs to rebuild it. But that's not the approach all across Europe. Johnson: Do you think France is doing enough? James: Is anybody doing enough? I mean, they've done a lot for their industries dur- ing the COVID pandemic but you'd have to talk to the printed circuit board companies in France and ask them if they think enough is being done. It's not all up to the government, but is enough being done in terms of strate- gizing around what's needed for the industry in the long term? at's a good question for France's printed circuit board industries, but I think most organizations and most companies would say we need to do more because it's not getting better. ere's been such a drain in the It's not just government money, though. The approach here is public/ private—the industry, government, and external stakeholders working together.