Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1473479
JULY 2022 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 9 One might consider the U.S. CHIPS Act, which has been in the global news, an example of taking action to reverse Welch's mark. And right behind the CHIPS Act is HR 7677, the Supporting American Printed Circuit Boards (SAPCB) Act. ere's never been a time when PCB fabrication has held such a high profile on the economic stage. Now seems a good time to remind ourselves of the ancient proverb found in multiple cultures, "In chaos, there is oppor- tunity." For this issue, we asked that in these times of change, whether now is a good time to invest in PCB fabrication. Well, if I'm completely honest, our initial thought was, "If you think it's been bad so far, just wait for Q4!" As we took that question to our expert sources, the response was two-part: Supply chain woes are going to continue; but now is a good time to invest in upgrading fab facilities. At least, that seems to be the news outside Asia. IPC Chief Economist Shawn Dubravac sat for an interview wherein he looked forward into Q4 2022 from a macro level. See what he had to say in "Q4 Concerns: Hold On to Your Hats." Also at a high level, Pete Starkey reports on the Prismark presentation to the recent EIPC Technical Snapshot, as delivered by Dr. Shiuh-Kao Chiang, managing partner at Pris- mark Partners. e outlook in Asia, says Dr. Chiang, is going to be challenging. His theme: "e party's over." To help you better follow the developments of the CHIPS Act and the SAPCB Act, and with the help of the PCBAA, we're proud to bring you an interview with HR 7677 co- sponsor, U.S. Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, and PCBAA president Travis Kelly. ey detail the bill and their expectations of the effect it will have on PCB fabrication. Originally, the bill brought two levers to move the industry: a pool of funding for PCB manufacturing com- petitive development, and a 25% tax credit for purchasers of U.S. manufactured printed cir- cuit boards. On July 8, just aer we conducted the interview, the tax credit was removed from Nolan Johnson is managing editor of PCB007 Magazine. Nolan brings 30 years of career experience focused almost entire- ly on electronics design and manu- facturing. To read other columns or to contact Johnson, click here. the bill through amendment. e original interview has been edited to reflect that recent change. To continue our examination of legislative activity, we interviewed Christopher Peters of USPAE, another association advocating for support from Capitol Hill. He takes a deeper look at the CHIPS Act and is potential impact on investment. Finally, to round out our cov- erage on this topic, Dr. John Mitchell, presi- dent and CEO of IPC, asks, "Is the U.S. Gov- ernment Ready to Meet the Test of Technolog- ical Leadership?" To complement our legislative coverage, we spoke with M&A experts inside the industry to gain a sense for how investment might mani- fest itself in this economic climate. Jeff De Ser- rano pPCB Technologies, and Tom Kastner of Stillwater Venture Capitalists, shared valu- able insights that we know will help you better understand what everyone is going through. Of course, we also bring you a whole cadre of columnists this month: Page Fiet, Christopher Bonsell, Matt Stevenson, Happy Holden, and Mike Carano. Our content is driven by your comments and feedback. We always welcome discussion about the content we publish, and your take on any industry topics you would like to see us cover. Our mission at I-Connect007 is to publish news and information that moves the conversation forward within the industry. It is our hope that the information in this issue will propel the industry's reinvigoration by start- ing conversations within your company, and within the wider industry. Let us know what you think. PCB007