IPC International Community magazine an association member publication
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IPC COMMUNITY 93 SUMMER 2023 ties of the DoD. We help them make connec- tions that can lead to better opportunities for their companies. USPAE also helps prioritize issues and topics that support a robust elec- tronics manufacturing system. When looking at the last 30 years, the trajectory of the industry is a bit dis- couraging from a manufacturing per- spective. Companies in the U.S. have led in the design of new technologies, but we can't necessarily manufacture the designs. I'm sensing a recent sea change in mindset, an opportunity to rebuild capabilities driven by a greater understanding of the industry and the realization that manufacturing matters. Are you sensing a new mindset? I agree with you, Chris. Here's a quick anecdote. During the pandemic, our coun- try struggled because we could not produce enough masks since most had been produced overseas. Similar to that is a pinch point we see in electronics manufacturing. The move- ment toward bringing things back is a reality, but the tough thing is that a lot of small- and medium-sized companies don't have staff to participate in these top-level perspectives. As a membership organization, we can pull everyone together to move in a direction that shifts technology areas away from overseas and back to the United States. So many of our needs in the U.S. are dependent on electron- ics, and if we get cut off from foreign sources or manufacturing, we are cut off from produc- tion of critical electronic items that affect all of us. It's a self-sustaining perspective from the U.S. and similar in other allied countries as well—we all want to take care of our own. It's an exciting time because we are not just bring- ing old technology back to the U.S. We are creating new technology as well. The reality is that rebuilding won't hap- pen overnight, but the U.S. should act with urgency. That is what makes membership in USPAE so important. It's an organization that encourages bringing issues up directly and driving action and implementation of worth- while products. Nathan, thank you for speaking with me about your new role. We are glad to have you here as part of the broader IPC team. You're welcome. I'm looking forward to all that we can accomplish. The Navigation Technology Satellite-3 is staged inside The Benefield Anechoic Facility at Edwards Air Force Base, California, April 18, 2023. NTS-3 will be the Defense Department's first experimental, integrated navigation satellite system in nearly 50 years and is expected to pave the way for a more robust, resilient and responsive architecture for satellite technology. (U.S. Air Force photo by Adam Bowles)