Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1483130
72 SMT007 MAGAZINE I NOVEMBER 2022 holes in their yard because they're not respon- sible for that part of the yard. Our job is to edu- cate, advocate, and legislate. ere's an edu- cational component, we are defining the true national and economic security issues and problems, whereby 97% of IC substrates are built in Asia. Less than 1% are built in America, and I'd be hard pressed to even say it's 0.5%. Substrates aren't domestically produced, and when you think about the major weapons system prime contractors and OEMs that are waiting up to 52 weeks for a foreign substrate to put on a category one ITAR weapon sys- tem, that's a problem. Remember: any time a contract is awarded, the contractor is respon- sible for the schedule. If you tell your program manager, "I can't deliver your weapon sys- tem for another 52 weeks because I'm wait- ing for a piece of electronics from Asia," that just means America is not positioning itself properly at the policy or financial level for investing in these capabilities to be domesti- cally secure. Johnson: Just moments ago, a presenter said the U.S. is a technology and R&D leader globally, and yet the manufacturing capability amounts to about 2% in the U.S. ey called that gap ridiculous. Marsh: ey would know the numbers better than I would. We are, as a country, caught up in statistics all the time. e reality is, America is not investing in—or at even low- or mid-vol- ume—producing IC substrates. We are wholly dependent at a national security level on a for- eign supply chain and that is a problem. at's why I continue on the Hill with IPC, USPAE, and the PCBAA on behalf of a group of com- panies and the industry. is is more powerful than just a couple companies where it could be misconstrued as strictly a parochial argument you're trying to make. It will directly benefit you, not your peers, competitors, or your "competimates." We believe this is a great opportunity not only to listen, learn, interact, and build relation- ships with professionals from multiple differ- ent sectors, but it's important to transform, transmit, and relay this information to Cap- itol Hill. ey might get a bad rap, and the approval rate of Congress is low, but at the end of the day, they're still making policy. ey're responsible for laws that affect our compa- nies and our lives, and it's important to edu- cate them before they legislate. We are taking advantage of the brain power and the profes- sionals in D.C., making sure Congress is aware this is happening. Johnson: at argument just points right back to strength in numbers, as much help as you can get. Marsh: Absolutely agree. Always wins, every day in D.C. Johnson: Will, thanks for taking the time to talk about this. ank you for the work that you do. Marsh: ank you, Nolan.