Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1493443
22 PCB007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2023 Early last month, hundreds of thousands gathered in Las Vegas for the annual Con- sumer Electronics Show, where amazing new tech was rolled out—everything from razor- thin TVs to smart robots that clean your home. As an executive in the materials science space, I was struck not just by the pace of innova- tion, but also by the incredibly complex sup- ply chains that were necessary to bring those products from the drawing board to reality. I grew up when robots were pretty much confined to the pages of science fiction. My kids and the generations that follow will see self-driving cars, autonomous floor scrub- bers, and a host of other technologies pow- ered by artificial intelligence. Next genera- tion semiconductors, high density intercon- nect, advanced packaging materials, and new A Collective Stake in American Microelectronics printed circuit boards will all be necessary to bring these technologies to market. Microelectronics truly make our modern life possible. But there is so much more at stake than being able to buy the latest TV or smart- phone. In addition to the consumer products we use every day, we need trusted and reliable sources of microelectronics for the national power grid and sectors like banking, medical, telecommunications, and national defense, to name a few. Our national and economic secu- rity depend on these devices. Right now, we don't have a sufficient pipe- line of trusted American-made printed cir- cuit boards and their component materials; we only make 4% of the world's supply. Unless strong legislative and policy actions are taken soon, the semiconductor industry will have to American Made Advocacy by Travis Kelly, PCBAA