Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1519075
APRIL 2024 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 67 industry members to become more involved and engaged so that, through these programs, their voices will be heard. The issue of sustainability is a big and important topic. Is Capitol Hill now actively discussing this? Cappetto: My number one job is to educate policymakers about this part of the electron- ics industry: We exist and are critical to the economy. I am delivering the message that the cars you drive every day, the devices you use, the military equipment that keeps us safe—these all rely on a stable, secure sup- ply chain, and if you are or become over-reli- ant on one global region to do all that work, those products and the economy are at risk. As your readers know, the U.S. printed cir- cuit board industry went from providing 20% of the global supply in 2002 to now just 4%. Over-reliance on imported sources and the lack of capability and capacity to produce needed components domestically represent significant risks to the way of life that people are used to. On Capitol Hill, is the issue of supply chain sustainability primarily seen as an issue of security? Cappetto: Yes, but it is an economic risk as well as a security risk and a risk to innova- tion. If you are not building the things that you design, and not doing the manufactur- ing, or doing it at scale, then you have a hard time innovating and being at the cutting edge. Advanced packaging is a good example of that. It is becoming the future of computing because chips can't get any smaller, so the advanced manufacturing processes to pack- age the electronics inside the device, putting multiple chip sets together, becomes the criti- cal capability, or in the case of the U.S., a crit- ical vulnerability. Our priority is educating policymakers on the industry and why it is so important to invest in and support the growth of the domestic industry. ing through the European Commission for policies aimed at building a strong electron- ics manufacturing industry through things like working on their Chips Act. Kelly Scanlon is IPC's lead sustainability strategist. As one of IPC's strategic priorities, Kelly is leading efforts to build sustainability across all our operations, including standards, design, and of course, advocacy and solutions. She leads IPC's Sustainability for Electronics program. Kate, you've written an article for IPC Community about your advocacy team. Can you give us a preview of what's in that piece? Koger: e focus is how IPC reacts as our industry becomes more politicized. ere is so much going on in the world politically speak- ing, and it is affecting every part of electron- ics and manufacturing. In response to this real- ity, we have strengthened the advocacy team and built a robust system that provides the best reaction to all that is happening. ere are things that the industry needs to be doing in this environment, and IPC can help them do it. We want to share all that we are doing in this arena and, honestly, put out a call to action for Richard Cappetto