Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1475010
AUGUST 2022 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 55 those opportunities of scale to build back that network in the U.S. better. I want to bol- ster domestic printed circuit board produc- tion, while strengthening supply chains. We must complement semiconductor incentives by encouraging domestic PCB manufacturing and addressing the acute need to reduce sup- ply chain disruptions. Let's make sure to bolster our capability, our workforce, and the network. While our first foray into this topic was defense related, we know it naturally broadens out to more commercial use. Defense is a good place to start because we know we cannot trust some adversarial nations. Let's build from there and use increased defense production to scale up. Ten years down the road, we will be up and running, and have a lot more capabil- ity than we had before. We will need to have the workforce to take on that need. Utah, for example, has a really strong manufacturing capability. Workforce issues are tough, but we have the capability. e best thing for our economy is to have a strong manufacturing base with a diverse workforce and production-based capa- bility because it gets you through the eco- nomic downturns. You're not just wholly reli- ant on a consumer-based economy. It's impor- tant to think long term. Kelly: Rep. Moore is spot on. e question does need to be bifurcated between short-term and long-term goals. HR 7677 will provide that initial investment in the domestic industry. ere's roughly $3 billion earmarked for an expansion and modernization of facilities and equipment as well as workforce development. at's the adrenaline that the microelectronics ecosystem needs as it relates to printed circuit boards. If you look at overall defense spend, you're really looking at roughly 3% of the over- all market, which is not sufficient to create a sustainable domestic industry. We need to look at the different critical end- uses. If we all agree that defense is a critical end-use infrastructure—like 5G, 6G, medical, commercial, aerospace, or banking—to sup- port that we need a trusted and resilient sup- ply. en you have an aggregated demand of roughly 26% of the global market that I think would be sustainable. We're not myopic; we know we need to be protected both economi- cally, and to Blake's point, for national security. at's where we need to get our voice around this, and that's why HR 7677 supporting Amer- ican-made PCBs is so important. Barry Matties: Do you see the number of shops increasing in the long term as well? What pro- jections are you making? Kelly: I get that question a lot: What is the right number? I will oen respond by saying that 4% global market share being manufactured in the U.S. is definitely not the right num- ber and 100% being manufactured in the U.S. is also not the right number. Similarly, you might see consolidation with several compa- nies, so does 145 become 120? Maybe. Do you see new companies starting? I don't think so. I Travis Kelly